Kung Fu Panda: A Second Story
by TaciturnWatcher
Summary: After Po is chosen as the Dragon Warrior, the entire Valley notices that he's befriended a young human.
1. KFP 1:1

**"** **The Dragon Warrior!"**

* * *

"Po, this is insane, even for - !"

"Alf, just shut up and help me light the - "

"PO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

The big, flabby panda seated atop a loosely built chair wrangled with fireworks - fidgeted in desperation. Mr. Ping, a goose as diminutive as he was sharp, hurriedly blew out weak smoke flowing underneath the chair.

"I told him not to sir, he just - "

Mr. Ping turned his head to the location of the shrill voice. The boy was young, with wavy black hair just dangling across his face. Ragged clothes, clearly much too large for his frame, was draped across his somewhat thin body.

"Alf didn't do it Dad," Po let out with a sigh. "He was just with me when I, you know…"

Mr. Ping's face did not emote at all. He kept his stern gaze at the young boy, completely unmoved and glacial. Alf seemed to retreat into himself, looking away from Mr. Ping's eyes.

"Come on _son_ ," Mr. Ping returned to Po, emphasizing it loudly as Alf's head drooped more. "Let's get back to work."

Po groaned, slowly beginning to try and get up. "I know, I know, I - AUGH!"

Alf was nearly crushed by the force.

The fireworks attached to Po's chair had somehow combusted. Having caught his pant leg in the bottom firework, Alf struggled to keep balance as both he and Po were crushed against the rock walls of the Jade Palace courtyard, Po's tongue flailing out while grinning. It felt absolutely surreal.

A sudden burst of air.

"AUGHHHHHH!"

"WHAT THE - AAHHHHH!"

Alf's eyes widened. He just realized that the fireworks had propelled them several hundred feet above the ground, directly above the middle of the Palace courtyard. A crowd of people - who really looked like alternately colored dots at this height - watched the chair soar up with confusion. At this height actually, the entirety of China seemed peaceful and everlasting - bright blue skies set atop a well-constructed Palace with gold finishes. The architecture of the city was marvelous - and what a way to go out!

Falling to their deaths.

"Uh-oh."

"What?"

Alf watched the chair disintegrate into black dust. Then he took a second to appreciate how high they were.

Then he screamed.

"WOAHHHHH!"

"PO IF WE SURVIVE THIS I'LL KILL YOU!"

The ground felt like it was sprinting up to meet them. Alf kept still, paralyzed in fear as Po kept yelling nonsensically above him.

Then nothing.

Alf's eyes forced themselves shut, accompanied by a dull, thudding pain which he could only guess was from the impact of his body against hard ground. He noted that this day could have gone so many different ways…

He could have stayed at home.

He could have been smart and run away from Po as soon as he started strapping FIREWORKS to his chair.

He could have seen through that laughably unrealistic lie.

 _Come on Alf, just come with me. We're just gonna sell noodles._

 _Sell noodles_ , Alf thought. _On the exact time, day and place where Oogway was choosing the Dragon Warrior. Idiot. No he's an idiot too - but I'm the bigger_ …

"OH - I'm sorry I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was!"

"How interesting."

Alf couldn't believe the combination of voices, so he forcibly opened his eyes. What followed was incredible bafflement, followed by an insane urge to hide beneath Po's large, jiggling behemoth of a stomach.

Why was Oogway pointing at Po?

Why were the Furious Five watching Po?

Why was Master Shifu staring at Oogway in utter confusion?

Why was he laying on the ground watching all this, when he should be trying to run away?

He was out.

In public.

Exposed.

Alf could practically feel the crowd's piercing stares - just as critical and harsh as Mr. Ping's - bore into his skull.

Po's hand was gently guided upward by Oogway's staff, soothingly mellow voice proceeding again.

"The Universe has brought us - the Dragon Warrior!"

Alf would have called the next few statements - a chorus of disbelievers.

"What?" first, from Po.

"What?!" second, from the Five.

"WHAT?" from Shifu.

"WHAT?!" from Mr. Ping, having just opened the gates.

Shifu tried his best, but failed to stop the ceremonial goose from sounding the bell signaling festivities. An onslaught of noises came immediately - there were reluctant cheers from the crowd, creaking wood as Po was hoisted onto an elevated plane via bamboo sticks, annoyed noises from the Furious Five, stringed instruments permeating the cool morning air…

"Fleshling!" someone from the crowd screamed.

And the noise stopped.

Alf drew himself to his feet. He gulped, watching his audience stare at him with the exact same look Mr. Ping had given him so many times.

Detached.

Apprehensive.

Hateful.

No one was immune to it. Not the Five. Not Shifu.

Not even Oogway.

It was less - hateful, surely, Alf justified. But the same detachment was there, the same apprehensiveness. And that - coming from someone like Oogway - felt just as harsh as the rest.

Only Po's eyes stood out, green pupils filled with concern.

"He's fine!" the panda screamed, jumping down from the ceremonial bed to stand in front of Alf. "He's with me! He's um - "

Alf felt uneasy. A few people in the crowd began moving down from their places in the podiums, menacingly brandishing small knives and clubs.

" - my water boy! He um - brings me water!"

Alf felt insulted, but agreed that it was the best excuse - and a time-honored one at that. He couldn't even remember how many times they had used that one.

"ARGH!"

Alf's arms were twisted and crushed into his back. He winced as he felt Shifu's deep, violent breaths beat down on his ears.

"Is this a joke, fleshie?" Shifu spat, twisting Alf's right arm nearly past its maximum range of motion. "You and this fat panda disgracing our festival - how much you pay him?"

The arm felt like it was on fire. Alf couldn't breathe, which would at least control the pain - Shifu was putting too much pressure on his back, compressing his lungs.

"Or - how much he pay _you_?" Shifu growled. "Wouldn't expect a fleshie to have any real coin…"

Alf was fighting back tears. His arm began a gruesome popping sound. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the Five look down at him. Crane was indifferent. Mantis looked intrigued. Viper was repulsed. Monkey was cringing. Tigress was smiling.

"That's enough, Shifu."

The twisting motion slowed down, but Shifu kept his grip on Alf's arms. He faced Oogway - himself unsure of what he had just done.

"But he's a fleshling!" Shifu retorted, completely uncaring towards Po - who was standing in silence, horrified. "This little - "

Oogway silenced him with a wave. Alf blinked away the cloudiness obstructing his vision as Oogway's face - neither malevolent nor kind, but quizzical - try to analyze Alf's.

"What is your name, Seeker?"

Alf almost gasped. Almost no one called him that. Not even Po.

Maybe because it was the actually respectful way to call - someone like him.

"Alfalfa," Po cut in between. "His name - is Alfalfa. He's with me Shifu, I - mean…"

Shifu got up from Alf's pinned position. The arms however, did not naturally relax back into position - they stayed twisted for a while, pain alleviated but by no means gone. Alf coughed out some dust, accidentally inhaled in fear.

" _Seek this_ , fleshling."

Shifu kicked out, small foot perfectly connecting with the middle of Alf's lips. The skin broke immediately. A warm, dizzying redness was overcoming his face.

Alf couldn't really remember much more, as consciousness soon faded and gave way to peaceful rest.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **EDIT for New Readers:** **Thanks for coming on here. It'll be worth it, trust me. :D**

 **Basic elements of this fic:**

 _ **-Dialogue heavy**_

 _ **-I like to describe the scene first with some good imagery, then focus on character interactions**_

 _ **-Fic becomes progressively more AU as it goes on - eventually well... you'll see. It's interesting though, so please give it a shot!**_

 **Now the actual, ancient Author's Note...**

 _This was a story I've been wanting to do for sometime - basically retell the whole KFP1/2/3 story (AND MORE!) but inject a human into it. I don't wanna give away too much, but here's what set in stone so far:  
_

 _1\. This is going to continue for a long, long time. Updates will be pretty regular - like weekly or maybe even more frequent._

 _2\. Writing will be informal and more like KFP's style of writing rather than mine (usually serious and dark, or some poor impression of serious and dark)_

 _Give it a chance!_

 _~TW (short for TaciturnWatcher, see? hehe...)_

 _P.S: I prefer to not beg for reviews/favs/follows - but no one can deny they do make authors feel good. If you honestly want to write something (even if it's really mean!), feel free! I certainly wouldn't mind. ;)_

 _But other than that, this'll be the last time you see me annoying you with R/fav/follow requests. Thanks for the view!_


	2. KFP 1:2

**"Reality"**

* * *

It took a while for both Po and Alf to fully process everything. The major issue was that the festivities took much less time than expected - perhaps because of Shifu hurrying everything along, or perhaps because Oogway had thought it wise to cut celebration short given the precarious choice of Dragon Warrior. Although Po had no doubt Oogway was unilaterally loved in the Valley of Peace, there was certainly a healthy skepticism over the past few hours. Surprisingly, things went to normal in the Valley quite quickly - citizens merely went back to their homes, tended to their shops, and organized their daily lives. Shifu and the Five however - weren't as easily returned to normalcy. They stared pure daggers at Po as the ceremonial geese carried him into his newly-appointed room, centered in the heart of the dorms no less. They spent another few minutes staring the panda down as he struggled to fit in the small cot, leaving only after they were sure Po felt thoroughly unwelcome.

From a visitor's perspective, the Jade Palace was amazing. Po had dreamed about one day stepping foot inside these green, gold-trimmed walls and pillars - yet being inside it, the true architectural beauty was obvious. Rooms were organized in such manic precision and purpose, with paintings and gifts carefully and strategically placed throughout the Palace. The floor looked reflective and deep, the walls were politely tinted and strong, and entire halls were dedicated to the training, weapons, and of course - the Dragon Scroll. Po had tried to step inside once - only earning a harsh rebuke and a forced exit from Shifu. And now, in the fresh moonlight just filtering through the Dragon Warrior's room - both Alf and Po sat in silence for a while, completely at a loss for words. There were only the idle sounds next door, outside Po's room - bamboo creaking as Crane moved around in his own room, and quill scratching against paper as Monkey copied scrolls.

"Your breath _doesn't_ smell," Alf implored. "Trust me."

" _Utter disregard, for personal hygiene_ ," Po mimicked, still angered. "Totally uncalled for - some Shifu he is…"

"How did the Wuxi finger hold feel?"

"Shut up Alf."

Alf smiled, leaning back onto rightward wall. "What've you been doing for like - the last 24 hours?"

"Literally everything," Po replied, sighing as he flopped back onto his cot. "Had to finish the festivities, had to work with the supercool Oogway, had to meet the supercool Five, had to learn how to be a _tenant of the Palace_ …"

Alf grinned. "How were the Five?"

"Great great great," Po cut across. "But dude - where were you all this time?"

Alf frowned, tilting his head down again. He silently grew jealous of Po's new ceremonial attire - green-golden trims with dragon symbols, and a long coat still draped across that furry frame.

"I was in a holding cell for a while," Alf slowly mentioned. "They had to um, question me."

Po shot him a confused look. "What? Who? Where? Wh - "

"Listen I didn't know much okay?" Alf responded immediately, a bit weary. "I woke up with a bruised lip and my mouth hurt - and then some rhino douches interviewed me for hours."

"In the holding cell?"

"Yeah - it was some jail cell, I'm guessing… have no freakin' idea where it was."

"Did you mention the water boy thing?"

"YES OF COURSE!"

"Why didn't it work?!"

"Maybe because um - why the FREAK WOULD A DRAGON WARRIOR NEED A WATER BOY?!"

Po guffawed, shaking in his hilariously undersized bed. "Sorry man - first thing I could think of. You know what they would have done otherwise…"

"Probably not anything in public," Alf noted. "But thanks anyway."

Po nodded, letting out a repetitive sigh.

"They let me stay after a while," Alf ended. "I'm sure they're keeping an eye on me though."

Po snickered. "Dude - what's really happening right now?"

Alf smiled and shook his head. He was, if it was possible, having even more trouble processing this than Po did. He had never before felt such a flood of conflicting emotions: amazement, fear, anger, worry, happiness...

"Isn't Oogway like - over a hundred years old?" Alf queried, confused. "I mean - isn't it possible that he - you know… is getting senile?"

Po shot up with mild anger. "Dude - we're in the freaking Jade Palace - surrounded by the greatest kung fu masters in China! Who cares what Oogway thinks?"

"Do you think they're gonna find out eventually?"

" _Duh_ ," Po denoted. "Shifu isn't an idiot. But let's try and milk it while we're here. I wish I would have brought my drawing pad - so many autographs to get…"

Alf's gaze drifted to the moonlight filtering in through the thin walls, just able to make out the outline of the Valley's distant mountain peaks - just barely able to hide a large, rock-shaped structure.

 _Chor Ghom._

"Dude, you should have seen Tigress' face when she realized Oogway was pointing at me!" Po squeaked with enthusiasm.

"Uh no," Alf quickly responded, waving hair out of his eyes. "I was too busy getting my arm torn off."

"She's always been like - my favorite, yanno?" Po continued, relaxing back onto the bed.

"Sure, just skip over the whole _getting my arm twisted like noodles_ thing…"

"To be honest - I'm sort of thinking of - well, yanno…"

"Do something _that_ stupid? Yeah, I know what you're thinking…"

Po grumbled, folding his arms behind his head as he stared up at the sloping paper ceiling.

"Yeah I was just joking, I guess - but don't you think she's _so_ cool?" Po attempted.

Alf huffed. "Yeah - I think she was smiling at me on the ground. So _cool_."

"Remember that thing that happened with that giraffe four days ago? In my bedroom?"

Alf narrowed his eyes, trying to remember what Po was referring to.

"That is nothing like that!" Alf quickly shouted out.

"Is too!" Po hastily responded.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Go to sleep - _Dragon Warrior_."

Po let out a hearty laugh, throwing a spare blanket to Alf.

 **. . .**

"Master Oogway - you summoned me? Is something wrong?"

The seemingly ancient turtle, balancing perfectly on his staff while upside down - leaned forward and rotated himself - seeing his considerably smaller former student, stubbornness painted across Shifu's aged features.

"Why must something be wrong for me to want to see my old _friend_?" Oogway noted slowly.

"I don't know," Shifu replied quickly, keeping his arms folded respectfully in front but his head defiantly away from staring at Oogway. "You've been giving me a lot of accidental _wrongs_ recently."

Oogway smiled, watching Shifu struggle to avoid eye contact. He gracefully descended from his staff, tucking it into his hand.

"There are _no_ accidents."

Shifu fought the overwhelming urge to slam his head into the nearest pillar.

"Yes, I know Master." Shifu noted.

"You say _Master_ …" Oogway started. "...yet you don't seem to be really treating my wishes like that."

"You picked - a _panda_ , to be the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu immediately protested. "Or wasn't that evident all this time?"

"Pandas can master kung fu," Oogway conceded. "Anyone can."

"He's not even a warrior!" Shifu spat. "Much less the _Dragon Warrior -_ and if it weren't for the respect and love I have for you, Master…"

"Kung fu is not about being a _warrior_.. It is about mastering what is within…"

"Yes of course, but what happens when he needs to actually _defend_ the Valley? Then there's that fleshling _water_ boy running around with him…"

Oogway kept his stare at Shifu, trying to somehow catch his reluctant gaze.

"Never mind that," Shifu finished. "I've said my piece. You picked a complete newcomer - someone with zero kung fu experience - over my students, who trained their entire lives for that moment."

Oogway frowned in sympathy. "They feel - they have failed you?"

Shifu shook his head almost instantly. "It is I who has failed them."

There was a moment of silence between them. Shifu finally returned his stare to Oogway, who noted that the small master's aged eyes were angered, yet obedient. Oogway privately respected Shifu even more for this kind of dedication.

"I've had a vision," Oogway began. "Tai Lung - will return."

A flurry of images ran through Shifu's head, accompanied by heavy, irregular breathing.

 _Flashing. Ripping. Claws. Blue fire. A powerful roar. The sound of fear._

"That is _impossible_!" Shifu immediately returned. "He is in prison!"

Oogway shook his head gravely. "Nothing is impossible."

Shifu's fear was gripping him almost lethally. He ran behind, finding an aloof bird dressed in Palace attire.

"ZENG!" Shifu shouted at the trembling bird. "Fly to Chor Ghom prison! Tell them to double the guards! Double their weapons! Double everything! Tai Lung must not leave that prison!"

The bird squawked at Shifu confusingly. "Yes Master Shifu!"

Zeng flew into a pillar, squeaking before flying out the Palace gates. Shifu turned his attention to Master Oogway behind him. Both of them stared at the golden dragon statue pinned to the ceiling, cleverly possessing a shining scroll in its jaws.

 **. . .**

"This has got to be some kind of joke."

"The poor guy's just gonna get himself killed!"

"Fell out of the sky in a ball of fire… I mean come on…"

"Master Oogway, all respect, but - "

"Don't."

The four masters rounded their collective gazes at Tigress, standing against the central pillar of the Training Hall. Her voice was even more quiet and serious than usual.

"Tigress, I wasn't going to - " Monkey began, idly rotating above a chained metal ring dangling from the ceiling. " - you know, disrespect Oogway."

"We must follow Master Oogway's wishes," Tigress tersely reminded. "The Dragon Warrior has been chosen. We have to train hard to help protect the Valley."

"So you're saying we just follow it?" Viper asked. "Without question?"

"Yes," Tigress immediately replied. "Train even harder, actually."

"I heard he's going to come watch us train in a few days, after all the celebrations have died down," Mantis denoted. "You think that'll help solve this situation?"

Tigress snorted. "After one second watching _real_ kung fu in action, that panda will run out of here as fast as his fat little legs can take him."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _So I'm trying to follow the general storyline and key scenes from the KFP Universe - and obviously innovate a little and flesh out. One thing I feel was lacking in the KFP movies was more characterization for the Furious Five (sans Tigress) so I'm gonna try to do some more of that. There is still four main characters though, so the story will revolve around them the most._ _  
_

 _Thanks for all the responses! (review/follows/etc.) Blown away by it - and I agree... my grammar needs some work. Will do better! And of course, I appreciate all the sweet comments. :D I agree, I'm deliberately leaving a lot of stuff in mystery... and yes, answers will come... in time... (vague hehe.. I know)_

 _~TW_


	3. KFP 1:3

" **First Time for Everything"**

* * *

"Panda! Get up!"

Po's eyes shot open, tumbling onto the floor unbeknownst to a freshly awakened Alf.

"Augh! Po - get the - "

"Sorry bro…"

Shifu grumbled, watching Po's jiggling stomach repeatedly bat Alf in the face until he managed to shove himself off.

"Do you plan on wasting my time some more, panda?" Shifu addressed as harshly as possible.

"No sir!" Po noted. "I mean no master! I mean - "

"Stop - talking. Follow me."

Shifu made his way out of Po's room, gently pushing open the paper door open with a creak. Po righted himself while standing up, then turned to face Alf - still on the floor, recovering from being squashed. Po tore his blanket off.

"Get up man, we're gonna do something!"

"Over my dead noodles," Alf spat. "You heard him - he said _panda_."

"But what's a Dragon Warrior without his water boy?" Po fired back.

Alf sighed, covering his face with his hands in exhaustion.

"Po, I don't think it's a good idea to keep tagging along with you in public," Alf noted. "We might test someone's patience too far and - "

"Listen, the whole reason you're alive right now is because you're with me," Po rectified. "You can try hiding in the Palace solo but I'd say - it's a worse risk."

Alf mulled over this. "I suppose when I'm with you they won't kill me - maybe."

"Maybe just maim you," Po let out, tightening the strings on his brown, tattered pants with quickness. "Come on - don't wanna be late for my first day!"

 **. . .**

The only thing more awkward than following Master Shifu around the Palace was hearing Po trying to make small talk.

For every single tired anecdote, illogical piece of rambling, or embarrassingly pathetic, gushing moment that came from Po - Master Shifu attempted to thoroughly ignore. Alf and Po had been following the smaller master around the Palace for nearly four minutes - which was much too long to be seen walking alongside Shifu. Alf in particular had an intense fear of being picked up by the rhino guards again - his gaze would dart from wall to wall, scanning for pointy horns and flashing red eyes to avoid. Po was attempting to act relaxed, but in truth was somewhat nervous - although Oogway's decision seemed to have been followed, Shifu had made no attempt to re-engage with the panda. Indeed, as the trio strutted from the dorms to the Palace courtyard, both Alf and Po were shocked to see a central structure, perhaps the most well-hidden building within the Palace - remain closed shut by two massive red doors. The sun had just barely trickled over the horizon, and the early morning light made his structure seem almost impenetrable. Yet Shifu casually pushed open the twin red doors, allowing Po and Alf to witness everything inside.

 _Yelling. Fists. Clanging. Fire._

 _The Five._

Alf and Po recognized this as a training hall. There was a moving, spiky platform of wood, hanging metal rings, a sea of wooden dummies, weapon racks, a floor that seemed to be spontaneously bursting fire...

Tigress, effortlessly jumping across the Hall, flipped over some moving spires of wood. She smashed a spiky block into pieces - a chip flew right into Po's forehead.

"Ow! Dude…" Po breathed out, mouth shaking. "The Furious, the Furious, The - "

"Will you shut up?" Alf retorted immediately.

"Let's begin," Shifu proudly declared.

"Wait wait wait," Po started, seeing a distant floor filled with cylindrical holes go ablaze with fire. "What? Now?"

"Yes, now," Shifu mentioned. "Unless you think the great Oogway was wrong - and you are not the Dragon Warrior."

Alf suppressed an urge to scream that into the heavens. He meekly followed Po, who continued to blabber nonsensically with an increasingly irritated Shifu. He soon found himself watching Po near a practice dummy, with the Five having freshly left their obstacles and moved onto Shifu's side. He kept a safe distance away.

"Go ahead panda, show us what you can do," Shifu noted, gesturing towards the dummy.

Po felt dumbfounded, nervous from the collective gazes from both the Five and Shifu. He continued to blabber nonsensically - first at Shifu, then after some forcefulness - at the practice dummy.

"You got nothing, 'cause I got it right here. You picking on my friends? - "

Alf watched this lunacy from twenty feet away, leaning lightly against a pillar. He was shocked that the Five and Shifu were even remotely tolerating this - and privately wondered how devoted they were to Oogway to allow this. He wasn't sure what was more painful - watching Po continue to delve further into this terrible comedic act, or having his mouth broken by Shifu.

At last, a breaking point seemed to have been reached.

"WOULD YOU HIT - IT!" Shifu bellowed.

Alf watched Po stop for a moment, for once taking his gaze off of the Five. He gently tapped the practice dummy.

"Why don't you try again, a little harder?" Shifu implored.

Po smacked the dummy back. "How's th - AAH!"

Alf knew what was happening before it even happened. Within moments, Po had somehow been hit back from the dummy - then tripped into the obstacle course.

Alf closed his eyes.

"AUGH! AGGGH! Oh that hurts!"

 _WHAM!_

 _DING. DING. WHAM! DING!_

"Oooohhh - my tenders. Oh - um - AUGH!"

 _DING. DING. WHAM! DING! WHAM!_

"What the - wha - "

"AUGH!"

"WOAH!"

"YEEE HAHAHA!"

Alf bit back a chuckle. That last one almost sounded like Po was laughing. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Po - fur singed black and crawling across the wooden floorboards - just barely dragged his oversized body over to Shifu and the Five, mumbling something to Shifu.

"There is now - a level zero." Shifu announced, putting out a flame at the top of Po's head.

Alf smiled. _Serves him right_ , he thought. _We finally get to leave this place - or I guess - we get kicked out -_

"Panda - tell _it_ to come here."

The emphasis was so nonsensical, so bizarre, that Alf wasn't even sure what Shifu was talking about. With a brief scan of the environment, Alf realized that Shifu had commanded Po to ask _Alf_ to come closer.

The panda almost felt regretful, so the words came out slow. "Alf - uh, water boy - come here."

Alf shuddered. He grimly inched closer to the group, just now seeing everyone's faces in better lighting.

Shifu's expression looked joyful, even excited - although in a disturbing way. The Five ranged tremendously - some looked just as intrigued as they were the morning of the Tournament, while others merely turned their heads above Alf. Tigress in particular flared her nostrils with every closer step Alf was taking, and her eyes seemed to be sinking deeper into her head.

Alf paused, still a safe distance away from the Five and Shifu (and even Po, completely incapacitated on the ground). Shifu cut the distance in half with a brief stride.

"Bend down, fleshling," the small master commanded.

Alf's initial thought was fear. No one was making a movement. Po couldn't understand what was happening. The Five looked confused.

"I said - _bow._ "

Shifu kicked out Alf's knees before slamming his head onto the floor, freshly breaking the recently clotted lip.

"Ergh - hmph… ergh…"

It frustrated Alf immensely that he wasn't capable of silencing himself. If he had just learned to shut up when this happened to him…

"My friends in the Valley Guard recommended I use _this_ ," Shifu noted, pressing a cold, dark feeling against Alf's neck. "Try it on."

Alf felt like choking. Whatever was just put around his neck - it instantly seized around, restricting movement and nearly bruising fresh skin. The feeling was immeasurably tight - tight enough where Alf had to focus to control his breathing.

"The _Seekers_ ," Shifu spat, with as much hatred as possible. "One of their inventions. They called it the _Obedience Collar._ "

Shifu whipped out a small, metallic box - something completely foreign-looking. The Five and Po eyed it with interest. Shifu laid a finger down to rest on a bright red, shiny button protruding from the metallic box.

"Concept's easy enough, even for a fleshie to understand," Shifu noted. "Do something we tell you _not_ to do - and…"

A surge of pain. Alf writhed on the floor in agony. It felt like his neck, his entire body was being pierced with a million swords. It felt like lightning was tearing through his body. Blue crackles emitted from the collar.

"AHH! PLEASE!" Alf let out, desperately unable to remove the collar.

Shifu stopped immediately. He bent down to Alf's laid down position, seeing him quake with satisfaction.

"But do something I tell you to do, _follow_ the Jade Palace rules - and I _don't_ press this red button," Shifu noted.

"Pretty ironic if you ask me," Mantis suddenly spoke up, breaking his silence. "Fleshie weapon, used to control a fleshie…"

"Seems perfectly poetic to me," Tigress smoothly declared, walking forward to gaze at Alf's crumpled, heaving form. "Seekers get what's coming to them. What's been coming to them for _centuries_."

Alf turned his head up at the older master. For some reason, he stared down into her crimson eyes - feeling an uncontrollable thirst to be violent. Perhaps she could sense it as well.

"You got something to say to me, boy?" Tigress growled, leaning down to level with Alf.

"Nothing," Po broke in. "Nothing! My water boy is going to keep his mouth shut - right Alf?"

Alf could practically feel Po's face urging him to stay quiet. He moved his head down, staring at the wooden floorboard.

"No," Alf let out finally.

 _Another surge of pain. The blue crackles came again. It felt more intense this time - more permanent._

Shifu walked over to Alf. "When you address another Master in this Palace - you will call them by their proper title, do you understand?"

It took every ounce of Alf's restraint from simply annoying Shifu enough to overload the button, and help end this long process of humiliation.

"Did you hear that, boy?" Tigress spat.

Alf kept his gaze on the floorboards, determined to not engage. "Yes - Master Tigress."

He didn't want to look up and see hers - nor Shifu's - inevitably smug expressions. Alf heard footsteps move away from him before Shifu's powerful baritone came again.

"Panda. Do it again."

With a sigh, Po dragged himself onto the wooden spires again - receiving the exact same result. Alf groaned, catching a glimpse of a brief, almost fleeting set of white ears and silver fur disappear from the corner of his vision - still from his prone position on the floor.

He must have been hallucinating.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Thanks again for all the sweet comments! Everyone's making my day, sniffle :)_

 _I should note that my interpretation/timeline of the KFP Universe is loose - the general storyline and somewhat accurate sequence of events is there, but given that this is a slight AU - I'm trying to take out and switch things around where I see fit, or add new stuff of course! Let me know if something isn't working though… However, stuff in KFP1 will show up just in KFP1 in-fic, KFP2 stuff will be in KFP2, etc… I won't switch it THAT far._

 _On another note, I know a lot of stuff seems up in the air! Don't worry! I'm slowly realizing a story to tell..._

 _~TW_


	4. KFP 1:4

" **The Nature of Time"**

* * *

"Speak, Master Oogway."

The old master took a second to pause - mulling over his words carefully as he observed the facial reactions of all three judges. The familiar faces - Master Thundering Rhino and Master Croc - felt malleable to Oogway's words. The newly appointed head judge however - Master Wing - was more impassive.

"I am confused to have been summoned to the Head Council," Oogway deliberately kept vague, admiring the simple, greyed architecture of the courtroom. "Even more confused that no one touched my paintings! Hehe…"

Master Rhino chuckled a bit, seeing the old Dragon paintings Oogway was referring to.

"We don't want to take too much time Oogway," Croc spiked up, thick green scales flexing from his podium chair. "We just need a simple answer."

"Actually, I um - " Master Wing interrupted, position in the center making the questioning process more difficult. " - want to do a thorough review, and perhaps discuss your recent health as of late, Master Oogway?"

Oogway felt disturbed - the question itself wasn't a particularly problematic thing to answer, but he accurately predicted the next, furious reactions from Rhino and Croc.

"You dare question our Grandmaster's judgement?!"

"How dare you say Oogway's going senile?!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Wing attempted, trying to keep the dissent low. "I'm not - trying to suggest anything. I merely want to do this investigation thoroughly! That is all…"

"We were told this was a simple formality," Rhino shot up, as Croc nodded his head.

"I beg to differ," Wing fired back. "I am fully aware of the status our grandmaster has earned. Believe me - with all my heart - I called this meeting for clarity's sake."

Oogway smiled kindly. "Then clear I shall be. Ask your questions, Master Wing."

Wing blinked at both Rhino and Croc, waiting for them to slowly grumble in silent allowance.

"How would you describe your mental health before the Dragon Warrior Tournament?" Wing queried.

Oogway frowned slightly. "Somewhat better than normal - but then again, I might be exaggerating…"

Wing grew more interested, leaning over in his podium. "Exaggeration? You don't think you were doing too well?"

Oogway offered a wry smile. "No - I think not. To be honest - I've been growing quite - complacent, as time passes…"

"Interesting," Wing vocalized, making a small note on a scroll in front of him. "And how - "

"This is no time to be modest and honest Oogway!" Croc shouted, looking at Wing with disgust. "This man is looking for a reason to make this a criminal trial!"

Wing was about to respond, but Oogway silenced him with soft speech.

"If Master Wing desires clarity," Oogway softly let out. "Then I will give clarity. Honesty. Maybe even too much honesty! Hehe…"

Oogway stopped laughing as he noted Wing's still serious expression. "I have indeed been feeling different, for the last few years, Master Wing…"

"And would you say because of the last few years - your judgement has been affected somewhat?"

Oogway nodded slowly, earning Rhino's disapproving face-palm. "Indeed - I would say it has."

Wing made another note on the scroll. "Now, during the day of the Dragon Warrior Tournament - did you feel any sort of discontent before that? Loss of memory?"

"A mild sort," Oogway observed, scratching at his chin with the wooden staff. "I certainly felt a little more tired than usual!"

None of this seemed to have any effect on Master Wing, who hurriedly wrote down increasingly messy notes on his scroll.

"Well then, we can now get to why I even called this meeting," Master Wing attempted, putting away his scroll in a knapsack. "Master Oogway - do you have any regrets or thoughts on your - eccentric choice of Dragon Warrior?"

Nothing that Rhino or Croc could say would be able to counter this. Even worse, they both seemed to mildly agree with what Wing had said - not that it was surprising to Oogway, who had seen this coming, perhaps the instant he had chosen Po.

"Yes - it was certainly thought-provoking," Oogway slowly analyzed. "It might or might not lead to regret - only time will tell."

Master Wing's furry eyebrows twitched in mild anger. "Master Oogway - I know you have a fondness for vague platitudes, but - "

"My _platitudes_ are not vague," Oogway cut across. Wing silenced himself immediately. "I am telling you exactly what I think."

Oogway paused after this, watching the three judges' continue to listen in eager but misguided confusion.

"Have I been feeling worse in the past few years? Somewhat." Oogway declared. "Is it possible that I am losing my _noodles_ , and hence picked somewhat unfit for the position of Dragon Warrior? Entirely."

Another pause.

"But if you understand the universe as I do," Oogway started again. "You will know that it doesn't matter what I did now."

"What do you mean?" Croc suddenly spoke up, leaning forward. "What you do is - "

" _Not_ what I _do_ ," Oogway emphasized. "What I _did_. What I _did_ in the past was the best I thought at the time. But what I _do_ right now - that is far more important. So I am giving you - the three respected masters of Head Council - the best answers I can give. And if you hold another meeting tomorrow, asking me what I did yesterday - I will give you the same answers."

An elaborated pause.

"I can only help you understand today," Oogway continued. "Not yesterday, and not tomorrow. So maybe your real concern should be over what Po _is_ , not what Po has _been,_ nor what Po _might_ be."

Another pause. The three judges looked at each other with confusion as Oogway smiled on.

"And what is he now?" Wing asked tentatively.

Oogway smiled wider. "Just a panda!"

Wing nodded his head slowly, still confused. "Right - thank you Master Oogway. We will be in touch shortly."

The old tortoise nodded his head at all three judges. He turned to leave, using the staff to gently guide his steps down his own podium.

"And the fleshling?"

Oogway stopped, turning his neck around ever so slightly.

"He didn't matter before, doesn't matter now, and won't matter later," Oogway stated. "Do not worry, my friends."

With that, the old grandmaster strode out of the courtroom doors.

 **. . .**

The Jade Palace - particularly at night time - was truly an eccentric structure. While the Valley was still moderately active, with occasional festivals and shopkeepers tending to their various chores - the Palace was completely quiet. Under the moonlight of nighttime, it was immediately evident that no one was active and about in the Jade Palace. Shifu was immensely focused on getting everyone to bed on time - yet obviously, this didn't apply to individuals without dorms, or at least beds. This also applied to those who had been freshly expunged from their "dorms".

Thus, Alf was out at midnight - having exited the Palace courtyard. He sat on the steps leading down into the Valley, feeling the cool night air brush past him. Alf switched gazes often - between the Valley, and the moon.

He wiped a few fresh tears from his face. His fingers idly passed by the metal collar, still encircled around his neck.

It was cold.

Unbelievably cold.

Immovable.

He had experienced how citizens of the Valley had treated him, but this was far different. It felt malicious, sadistic, even possessive.

"Master Alfalfa?"

Alf shot up, wiping away any remnant moisture on his face. He instinctively moved his fingers to the collar, expecting more pain.

Yet he became confused. A silver-grey fox, with a Palace emblem gently strapped onto her long robes - spoke more words in an unsure tone.

"Are you outside for any specific reason?" she asked.

Alf nodded. "Just needed to get some fresh air."

"It has nothing to do with - not having a bed in the Palace?"

A pause. Alf eyed the young fox with concern - he had the underlying suspicion that engaging with her some more would lead to a negative consequence. Yet he ignored it.

"You can just call me Alf," Alf eventually broke in, ignoring the question. "Why are you out?"

Alf sat back down, turning his back to her. The fox stepped forward some more, taking a seat next to him.

"I cater for the Palace," the young fox noted. "You can call me Yu, by the way."

"I feel like we've met before," Alf noted. "You said your name was Yu?"

"It's a common name in China," Yu acquiesced. "But yes - I met you in the Training Hall. Well not met - I sort of saw you when, you know - "

"I was getting beat up," Alf completed. "Yeah - I sort of remember you."

Yu smiled uneasily. Alf watched her slender hand extend gently in the direction of the collar.

"What are you doing?" Alf moved away, keeping a hand to his partially exposed neck.

"I'm so sorry!" Yu apologized profusely. "I wasn't thinking! I just saw the thing and I just wanted to know - what it sort of feels like…"

"It feels like metal," Alf cut across. "Tight. Cold. Painful - "

Alf stopped, shuddering. He turned his face away from Yu, looking back to the bright moon. The same warm feeling came behind his eyes again. He shut them quickly.

"I - uh - I'm sorry about that happening," Yu mentioned, folding her arms and staring away from Alf. "You know, I don't agree with all the Seeker business that's going on."

"Heh - what _Seeker business_?" Alf asked, confused to hear that term again.

"You know - the anger. The blame. All the hatred…"

"Hmph," Alf groaned. His fingers subconsciously drifted to the collar again. "Doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?" Yu questioned, taken aback. "Not even to you?"

"What's happening to me is something I don't care to explain or justify," Alf noted simply. "It happens - I just have to adapt to it, that's all."

"You don't care about questioning the history?"

"What happened doesn't matter, and to be honest I don't know much about it," Alf spat. "What might happen tomorrow doesn't matter either - I just have to learn to work with what I have now."

A pause. He looked back at Yu, surprised to see her face full of gentle concern.

"You know what? Let's try this again," Alf suggested with a wink. "My name's Alf."

Yu smiled. "My name's Yu. I cater."

Alf feigned being impressed. "How interesting! I cater too! For a noodle store."

Yu let out a hearty laugh, wrapping her arms more firmly around herself to brace against the onslaught of cold night air.

"I've heard of it," Yu noted, still chuckling. "Mr. Ping runs it, right? Why not just stay with him?"

"Pshh," Alf dismissed. "He barely lets me stay over when Po is around - now with Po at the Palace…"

Alf stopped, forcing his fingers away from the collar. "It doesn't matter now anyway, with this _thing_ forcing me to stay here."

"It activates if you get too far?" Yu queried. "Weird… but eventually they'll take it off, right?"

Alf wouldn't describe it as weird. It felt surreal - almost as if he had never seen this coming. The second part of the statement wasn't something Alf felt could be answered now.

"I don't know," Alf let out finally. "I'll trade you for that robe you have on, though."

Yu snickered. "I mean like - eventually when they figure out that the panda isn't the Dragon Warrior… I mean no offense to your friend, but - "

"Believe me," Alf started. "The second we get kicked out, and they take off this stupid thing - the second I start selling noodles for free."

"Maybe we could eat together sometime."

Alf looked more intently at Yu's face. There was an element of boldness, certainly - but even more importantly, a sense of unease. Doubt. Deep thought.

"Not on a date! Oh my - please, I didn't mean to - " Yu tried again, nervous. "Just you know - I figure it's been a while since you've talked to someone, just for fun…"

"If you cater," Alf emphasized. "Sure."

Yu smiled again. Both Alf and her collectively turned their gazes back to the moon.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _I've said it once, and I'll say it again - the feedback is amazing. Really - I'm by no means a remotely popular author but you guys really do make me feel that way!  
_

 _The cruelty part in the last chapter - I agree - may have gone a little far. But it is PG-13! (well still...) I don't know. You can be assured that obviously, most of the story won't be like that. But other than that, everything's going well! Being that I'm literally forming new story ideas with each chapter, expect plenty of variety in plot! I'm sort of slowly building a general outline - but that's much, much farther down in the line._

 _A big part of the fic is that I want it to feel like the side-story. The story not told. The second character. The "beta". Alf is the protagonist of this fic, yes - but I want to show it honestly like he was just tagging along in the KFP Universe - and appropriately changed the plot. That being said - he's still the main character - and that obviously means he will always be relevant to the plot._

 _TL;DR: much to come! Thanks to everyone!_

 _~TW_


	5. KFP 1:5

**"A Bad Night"**

* * *

"He is so - _mighty_! The _Dragon Warrior_ fell out of the sky, in a ball of _fire_!"

Mild chuckles.

"When he walks, the very ground shakes!"

More raucous laughter.

Tigress was watching all of this from a few steps back. Cold air flew past her whiskers as she twitched in annoyance.

"One would _think_ ," she began. "That Master Oogway would choose _someone_ who actually _knew_ kung fu."

"Yeah, or could at least touch his toes," Mantis noted atop a rock.

"Or even see his toes." Monkey finished.

A burst of laughter again. The Five walked up the stone steps leading up to the Jade Palace dormitories, tired footsteps pattering behind them.

Unbeknownst to them, laying in the shadows of moonlight and veiled by large rocks - Po and Alf were watching the conversation with a mixture of emotions.

Po stood up from behind the boulder, grasping his large belly.

"Hmph - ergh - " the panda struggled, trying to push his stomach in.

"Po - " Alf started, face-palming almost immediately. "Come on man, this is just - "

"Wait wait wait! I almost can see the - WOAH!"

With a brief step forward, Po fell forwards and onto the hard rock floor - protected only by his projecting stomach. The panda bounced for a few seconds, finally coming to a halt with a sniffle.

"Try being in their shoes," Alf gently suggested, crouching down to meet Po. "They train their whole lives for basically one thing - and none of them end up making it."

Po sniffled again. "Yeah, but it's not like anyone - myself included - actually believes I'm the _Dragon Warrior_. I mean - I thought the whole point of this was so when we can get some cool autographs and you know - leave."

"Maybe they think they're being disrespected," Alf wondered out loud, gazing at the dormitories as torches were extinguished from behind thin paper walls. "The sooner we leave, the better, yanno?"

"I guess…"

Po nodded his head, nonverbally promising to stay out of the Five's way.

 **. . .**

It took Po all of three minutes to break his promise.

As soon as he and Alf were safely inside the confines of the Jade Palace dormitories, merely two steps away from both blissful sleep (for Po) or hidden rest under Po's cot (for Alf) - Po had decided that he absolutely _needed_ to meet the Five again.

"Don't worry man, it'll be quick!"

"No it won't," Alf reconciled. "Don't try to make this situation _un-awkward_."

"Come on, it'll be quick…"

Alf followed Po out of the sliding paper walls. The level of risk in doing this stupid a move was greater now, considering that the collar kept an ever-present feeling of discomfort around him. Ever since that morning in the Training Hall, Alf had attempted his best to stay out of Shifu's eye contact and when he was - pretend to work as hard for the Palace as possible. He didn't even think about bringing up the question of taking it off.

 _Oogway. He's my best bet_ , Alf thought. _There wouldn't be anyone more merciful here…_

He turned his attention back to the present, focusing on the dormitory hallway - just feeling nascent in dim torch light.

The rooms were efficient and small, with perhaps just a touch of individuality added to everyone's dorms. The Furious Five - as much as the legend in China might distort - felt oddly normalized and even understandable from this perspective. It felt comforting to know that even after slaughtering entire armies, fighting off hordes of invaders, traveling the entire world and displaying exceptional kung fu prowess - they went back to the same, basic rooms every night for sleeping like anyone else. The one outstanding problem was the lack of clear naming - and this was critical for knowing which member of the Five to approach. Some had seemed more sympathetic to Po over the past week - perhaps Viper and Mantis - but the others kept a cold distance, like Monkey and Crane. Tigress was so aggressively hostile towards them both that Alf had resolved to keep out of her eyesight as well.

"Look, this door has a monkey chasing a scroll! You think it's Monkey's room?" Po queried.

The idiocy of this question astounded Alf.

"No," he responded sardonically. "I think it's Oogway's room."

"Oh dude - should we wake up Oogway?" Po asked back. "You think that's allowed?"

"Po I don't know okay!" Alf harshly whispered. "This Palace has a bunch of symbols that no one understands! Can I go back to my room now?"

"I thought you weren't allowed to have a room."

Alf stood still, recognizing the textured voice immediately. A circular head, framed by yellow fur with prominent eyes, stuck out from a slit in the now-open paper doorway.

"Master Monkey, ah - sorry!" Po let out, folding his arms into a respectful position. "Didn't mean to wake you…"

"Well I'm awake now," Monkey noted, scratching at his tired eyes. "Get in, before you wake up everyone else."

Po couldn't believe what he was saying. Alf couldn't believe that no one had shocked him yet. Reluctantly, he tiptoed with Po into the master's room, taking care to gently slide the door closed behind him.

Master Monkey's room was far from what Po had often imagined it to be. There were more clothes strewn about and less paintings, more half-finished food than weapon racks, and more of a sense of disorganization than discipline.

"How long is this going to go on?" Monkey dragged, leaping softly onto a small cot in front of him. "I mean - come on Po - we appreciate the citizens of the Valley but this…"

"Yeah, I know, I know," Po agreed, nodding his head sadly. "You're right - I don't - I mean, my whole life I've dreamed of - "

"No no no," Monkey interrupted, cackling a bit. "I don't mean that - I mean, isn't it time for you to you know, _retire_?"

"Thank goodness," Alf suddenly interrupted. "Someone gets it…"

"It's just that we thought everyone sort of understood what's the _dealio_ ," Po rambled, tapping his belly lightly to Monkey's amusement. "I'm obviously nowhere near _universe warrior_ level - "

" _Dragon Warrior_ ," Monkey corrected.

" - yeah that, but I just thought that maybe I could get some autographs and we could you know - _skadoosh_."

Po's repeated usage of made-up terms began to confuse Monkey, who looked at Alf for a moment. The boy simply tilted his head downward in embarrassment.

"Listen," Monkey began, leaping off his cot to make eye contact with Po. "If I get you some autographs, will you leave the Palace?"

Po nearly burst from excitement. "YES! THAT'S ALL! OH MY - THANK YOU MASTER MONKEY!"

Alf breathed a sigh of relief. A nightmare was slowly passing.

His fingers idly brushed against his collar - Alf made a mental note to see Oogway as soon as the autographs were given. He prayed that Monkey would get them soon.

"Here's mine straight-away," Monkey began, efficiently scrawling his name on an empty scroll before shoving it into Po's outstretched paws. "I think I can convince or steal the rest of the Five's tomorrow morning…"

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Po let out, breathing heavily and rocking back and forth. "I promise, as soon as I get the autographs I'm out! It's such a supercool honor!"

"Yeah," Monkey continued, a bit repulsed by the excessive flattery. "It's nothing personal Po, it's just that when it comes to defending the Valley - "

"CRANE! GET UP! YOU FORGOT TO COPY THE NEW SCROLLS!"

"YES MASTER SHIFU!"

The sudden onslaught of new voices outside Monkey's dorm - a harsh tone and an obedient one - startled all three individuals. Po, completely oblivious to the amount of harm that could befall all of them, gently peeked at the two shadows from behind the paper doors.

"Are you seriously crazy?!" Alf whispered, trying to find a weak spot in Monkey's walls where he could jump out of. "Po! I'm not getting shocked again! Get back!"

The two shadows retreated into a dorm, and promptly shut the paper door behind them.

"Leave quietly," Monkey commanded, trying to be friendly. "Po, you might be able to make it back into your room before Shifu notices. As for you…"

Monkey's gaze fell upon Alf. "... try to find a way out of the Palace, quietly."

Alf found this somewhat obvious. After a hurried thanks from Po, both intruders gently pushed open the Monkey's dorm door. Alf scanned the open hallway as stealthily as he could.

 _Open space._

 _No torches, except for Crane's room._

 _The two shadows were still inside there._

 _Shifu hadn't spotted them._

 _Six doors. Five with torches. The last one had a cool breeze running through it._

 _It had to lead out._

"Okay this is where we split," Po emphasized, gently traipsing into his room - just a few feet away from Monkey's. "Good luck Alf!"

With that, the panda disappeared behind a swish of paper.

Alf made another check of the hallway.

Shifu and Crane were still inside the latter's room. Shifu sounded angry.

 _Good. More time._

Alf was far more nimble than Po ever could be. His light frame and quick footsteps allowed him to soar across the narrow hallway, feeling the cool breeze from the exit door hitting him softly before he swung it open quickly, entering, then softly shutting it behind him.

"Now where's the Courtyard…"

Alf felt surprised. There was no full moonlight, cool night air, or visible moon. The rocky, stone steps of the Palace weren't there - his feet still made contact with the bamboo flooring of a dormitory.

He traced the source of the breeze, hoping to find another exit point - but there was none. The breeze was because an open window - just paper cut out of the wall - was in the room.

Also adjacent to the window was Tigress.

Alf froze. The cot she was sitting on wasn't like the others - it was harder and greyer, with visible scratch lines. Her room wasn't like Monkey's - it was dull and bare, with no paintings, food, or even weapons.  
It was a room with a cot. And Tigress was sitting on it. Awake.

Orange eyes - framed by an intense, vaguely triangular face with sharp fur lined with black stripes - stared straight at Alf.

It took him about thirty solid seconds to realize he was in Tigress' dorm.

"DON'T LIE PANDA! I KNOW _HE_ WAS HERE! TELL ME WHERE YOUR LITTLE FRIEND WENT!"

Shifu's voice - despite being outside the dorm and in the hallway, with a good twenty feet separating him from Alf - felt harsh and unforgiving.

Alf's fingers instinctually went to the collar.

Not again. He had to do something.

Going outside was suicide. Staying inside was suicide.

"I am so, so, _so_ sorry!" Alf begged, immediately falling to his knees and bowing mildly to Tigress. "Po forced me to come with him and then - well it doesn't matter point is please just let me jump out the window and don't call Shifu over please I'll be out of your hair in a jiff - "

"Shut it, boy," came Tigress' smooth command.

Alf gulped. He stayed in the bowed position, keeping all eye contact with the open window, the ceiling, the floor - anything but Tigress.

He could hear her footsteps approach. She was standing close to him.

"How are you even a _Seeker_?"

Alf hazarded a chance at looking up, seeing Tigress's face oddly contorted into a slightly amused smirk. He was so paralyzed with fear - with Shifu's footsteps approaching, and the fact that he was still in this room…

"Wha - What?" Alf finally let out.

"The Seekers I studied about were _more_ \- " Tigress began. " - well, less _pathetic_ , I suppose."

Alf nodded his head vigorously, keeping a trained ear on Shifu's impending footsteps.

"Yep yep I'm pretty freakin' pathetic," Alf agreed ferociously. "I'm just gonna jump through your window if that's alright with you…"

Alf tried to get up, but Tigress merely stared him down.

There was an odd facial expression with her.

"FLESHLING!"

It was too late. Alf could barely catch a glimpse of Shifu bursting into the room before he felt the crackle of pain again.

It didn't stop this time. The shocking felt more intense.

He held on for the first few minutes.

His mind faded into unconsciousness after that.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Hello there! Sorry if the chapter felt like it didn't move things really forward - I sort of loved this dorm scene and put my own spin on it.  
_

 _The real story: So I was writing this chapter, and realized I hit 2000 words already. So I sort of pushed my planned scenes into next chapter... The thing is, I want to keep this fic's chapter length at a good length. Some of my other stories average 5k+ per chapter, and that usually feels a bit long sometimes. That being said, I don't want to keep it too short where people go:_

 _Is that it? :)_

 _So let me know! Let me know how the length is working for you, pacing, more scenes, etc._

 _In other news, I spent the past few days having an insane amount of ideas which I added to my "story-planning" doc. All I can say is that I'm very, very, very excited to begin fleshing it all out (no pun intended) and look forward to expanding the KFP Universe. Strap in, cuz this one's gonna be a long haul..._

 _And as always, appreciate the support. :D_

 _~TW_


	6. KFP 1:6

**"Turn ing Points, Not Turned Points, Not to be Turned Points"**

* * *

"You were unconscious."

"Where?"

"Palace Courtyard."

"Hmph."

To his great joy, Alf realized that as soon as Shifu had thrown him out of the dormitories and onto the Palace steps - the shock collar had gone off again, although it wasn't as effective given that Alf was unconscious. Yu, who had been watching carefully behind a pillar, noted that Shifu disabled some mechanism within the collar. Promptly afterwards, he ably threw Alf down the steps of the Palace and into the Valley - or he thought he did, as Yu managed to sneak her way in between and catch Alf before he accumulated too many bruises. Still, there was no prevention of the inevitable - and thus, Alf now had two white bandages wrapped around his head and face, sporting a wide grin with zero subtlety.

"He had to _shock_ me to finally turn off the collar's location thingy," Alf noted, still smiling. "Hilarious…"

"It's still on you though," Yu emphasized, touching the collar. "I'm just guessing that he turned off the part that zaps you when you get too far from the Palace. That'd be _so_ useful for other things… "

"Hah!" Alf retorted heartily. "Shifu wanted to throw me out so bad, that he actually switched a part of it off…"

They had arrived at the building. Alf stopped smiling as he looked at the structure, white walls offset by a small entrance with tables and empty chairs inside - which was appropriate, given that it was still past midnight. The building itself was nestled in the heart of the Valley, with a simple sign dressed with bold, black letters.

Mr. Ping's.

"Alf, I'm telling you," Yu began. "It's worth a shot."

Alf chuckled. "Watch how quickly this conversation ends."

Alf walked underneath the entryway, pushing past the crowd of chairs and tables to see a small goose just laying casually on a cot. He was sleeping behind a wooden counter, height appropriately low so that very few people could possibly squeeze in and take a look at the kitchen.

As soon as Alf rested his arms on the counter, Mr. Ping awoke.

"Get out," came the silent command.

"Mr. Ping," Alf began, having already predicted this. "I just need a cot, a haybale, anything to sleep on for the rest of the - "

"Get. Out."

Alf shrugged his shoulders, turning away from the counter to make his way out of the shop. Even though every part of that conversation went exactly as predicted, Alf couldn't let go of a sense of surprise - to be frank, Mr. Ping didn't even let him finish his request.

"Any luck?" Yu immediately fired, fur just beginning to shiver underneath cold night air. "Jeez it's cold - I can't imagine how it must be for you, yanno - without any fur and all."

"Went exactly like I said," Alf noted simply. "Good thing I have my favorite coat on…"

Yu examined the "coat" more closely. She hesitated to even call it clothing at all - it seemed more akin to a rough burlap sack, or perhaps a potato bag - stretched into a thin fabric and woven around Alf's frame. It was harshly double-weaved and too large for the boy, but she guessed that helped immensely with preventing any cold air from seeping in.

"Come on, I know someplace warm we can spend the night," Yu recognized, dragging Alf along with her.

"We?" Alf rebounded. "You don't have a - "

Yu rolled her eyes. "You're not the only orphan in the Valley you know…"

Alf smiled.

The long walk, which took long enough to the point where Alf lost track of time, felt reinvigorating. It felt cathartic to be finally leaving the Palace behind, even if it was just for one night - and never, in all the years that Alf had spent in the Valley - had he imagined he had someone besides Po to give him company.

He watched her walk in front of him. She had light footsteps, which tapped against hard stone cobble as they began following a path well away from the Valley, away from the sleeping villagers and small homes set with stone walls. From what Alf could see, they were going down a slightly winding path - leading up some hills. Fresh grass began appearing at Alf's feet, green blades that he had never seen before now.

"Just up ahead," she delineated softly. "See that stone thing?"

Alf squinted his eyes, seeing a large boulder standing upright, casually shifting with the night breeze. It was right in the middle of the grassfield, almost randomly placed with little activity around it.

"Look behind you." Yu requested.

Alf exhaled deeply, laughing behind him. They were so far from the Valley and the Palace, almost far enough where less moonlight was striking the ground - a point where no animals came, villagers left alone, and no one would be able to see. From this kind of distance, there were only two types of views: one had the Valley and the Palace, almost like one, dimly shining mountain - and sandwiched ahead of the boulder, were tall spires of rock and mountainous hills, extending as far as the eye could see.

"How has no one found this place?" Alf questioned, leaping atop the boulder. "They think it's haunted or something?"

"I guess," Yu deduced, kicking some wet grass. "Maybe no one's just gone beyond the Valley to see this place. Move."

Alf nudged aside on the boulder to make more space for her. "It's nice. Peaceful."

"Lonely," Yu finished, looking at Alf.

"Yeah, that too."

They sat there for a few minutes, staring at the Palace glow mildly in the cold darkness ahead. Alf never before realized how high it was compared to the Valley - those 1000 steps really felt more impressive at a distance away.

"What kinda stupid name is _Alfalfa_?" Yu interrupted, giggling. "Isn't that - food or something?"

"A crop, I think," Alf nodded. "Well - I didn't choose it, so - "

"That's not even your name?" Yu emphasized, taken aback.

"No it is!" Alf returned back, trying to restructure the conversation. "I - well, the villagers and Po - have used that name forever, and I guess I really never cared about it."

Yu didn't seem satisfied.

"I'm sure there's some stupid story though," Alf went on. "Like how it was written outside a _metal pod_ that I crashed down to the ground in."

Yu cackled. "Yep, that definitely sounds like something only the villagers could make up…"

"My first memories were playing tag with Po," Alf noted, trying to recall details. "I've never really remembered behind that."

Yu seemed more satisfied. Another pause came - a bit longer, and more fulfilling as the idle swish of grass blades permeated the emptiness.

"So you cater, huh?" Alf broke in. "How'd you land that?"

"I didn't," Yu emphasized. "Oogway sort of found me and took me in. I was sort of a drifter back then…"

"Wait what?" Alf wondered out loud. "Drifter? How old are you?"

"Going to turn fifteen in a month or two," Yu answered. "You?"

"Fourteen," Alf let out, fending off a snicker from Yu. "Po's sixteen. He's sort of forced himself into being the older brother I wish I never had…"

Yu laughed. "You don't really mean that!"

"Yeah, I don't," Alf agreed. "Love the big guy - but don't change the subject. Why were you a drifter?"

"Shifu's in his fifties or sixties," Yu guessed. "The Five told me. Most of them are seventeen - I think Tigress is eighteen."

"Yu. Why were you a drifter?"

A pause. Yu turned her head down at her lap, opening it to see the boulder again.

"Look, I just wanna keep some stuff private, okay?" Yu stated bluntly. "And like you said yourself - it doesn't matter."

Alf felt confused. "When did I say that?"

"When I asked you about the Seekers a few days ago, remember?" Yu reiterated. "On the steps? After Shifu finished _shocking_ the soy sauce outta you?"

"Oh, right…"

Another awkward pause. Neither of them made an effort to break it this time.

"Listen, sleep here as much as you like, alright? It's fairly warm." Yu forced. "I have to go back to the Palace - make sure all the food's well - you know…"

He didn't know. Yu hopped off the rock gently, making her way back down the path leading to the Valley - leaving a slightly confused yet guilt-ridden Alf behind.

 **. . .**

The Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom was - in Oogway's modest opinion - such a arduously long name to pronounce, that the old grandmaster had resorted in recent years to simply calling it "The Peach Tree". It was one of the few peach trees still left in the Valley, of course - and thus there would be little chance of mistaking it for anything else. It was also appropriately well-hidden, even to most residents of the Jade Palace - one had to traverse a tricky mountain path, deftly eluding nimble crags and inclined slopes - then finally hike up a nearly vertical series of steps to reach the tree.

It surprised Oogway then, when he saw a large panda devouring peaches at the peak of the cliff.

"I see you have found the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom!"

Po startled, immediately turning around and dropping several peaches from his paws.

"Is that what this is? I am so sorry I just thought this was just a regular - " he paused to swallow another fruit. " - peach… tree."

Oogway smiled kindly at Po, moving forward with a small pattering of feet. "I understand. You eat, when you are upset."

Po grimaced, seeing his body jiggle under the unforgiving moonlight. "Upset? Whaddya - what - what makes you think I'm upset?"

Oogway paused, looking at the panda more deeply. "So why are you upset?"

Po sighed. "I probably - "

"Because he doesn't deserve to _be_ here."

Po turned away immediately, knowing the voice instantly. Oogway smiled more gently, seeing Master Shifu's small frame enter the area.

"Master, that flabby panda wasn't even meant to be here!" Shifu addressed Oogway, pointing a harsh finger at Po. "It was just an _accident_!"

"There are, _no_ accidents."

Shifu groaned, turning away from Oogway. "Yes I know, you've said that already. Twice."

Oogway chuckled. "Well, that was no accident either!"

"Thrice."

"Heh."

Shifu whisked around, trying to determine the source of the noise. Po's mouth was stretched into an involuntary grin, peach still stuffed into his mouth.

"Spit that _out_ , panda," Shifu demanded, furry eyebrows twitching. "Do not - "

"Peaches are delicious my old friend," Oogway noted, knocking the peach further into Po's mouth. "Why don't you try one?"

The old turtle extended a peach to Shifu, who grumbled incoherently before disappearing down the mountain path and into the darkness of night.

A long pause. Po stared at Oogway with confusion, wondering what the newfound silence was for.

"He's been like that for the past few weeks," Po emphasized. "And - I don't think he's gonna change tomorrow, or the week after, or maybe forever…"

" _Been, tomorrow,_ " Oogway smoothly mimicked. " _Maybe, forever, after…_ Po, do you know what today is?"

Po felt even more confused. "Wh - What?"

"A gift," Oogway finished. "The _present_. It's _your_ peach, Po. To use as you see fit."

The old master tapped the tree gently, perfectly placing a falling peach into Po's paw. And for some reason - everything felt different now.

It was today.

And today felt beautiful.

Master Oogway strode away.

 **. . .**

* * *

 **A/N (srry for the ohmygod did he really write this much - note)**

 _Done! Very fun to write this chapter._

 _I do enjoy mixing up the timeline of scenes a bit and playing with different orderings. I don't know why, but in the context of this story it just feels right and more organic to use some different timelines/scene structure._

 _Secondly - thanks all for the feedback/concerns over Alf's importance in the plot - I understand, totally! But no one need worry - this is a re-telling of KFP 1-3, and by nature, injecting a human character (who's the protagonist) into it means that - yes, Alf's gonna be the main journey we follow. I think it was my fault for making our poor Seeker look like he was some "extra in the background". :D Don't worry - he's definitely the "focus" in this fic, the "main story", and I should just shut up before I end up revealing too much. ;)_

 _Keep speculations up, reading them are a joy to this giddy author, hehe…_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: I should really pay it back and start checking out some of your guys' fics! I'll start today… the amt of viewership that this fic has been getting is insane..._


	7. KFP 1:7

" **A New Beginning"**

* * *

Much farther away from the Valley of Peace, nestled in the treacherous mountains of Mongolia and hidden by a thick veil of wavy fog - Chorh-Gom Prison lay like an enigma.

The actual prison looked absolutely serene, almost an extensible part of the natural, craggy formations surrounding it. To any onlookers on the outside, the only thing visible about it were two small pillars poking out of the thick fog, gently guiding the misty air around them in perfect harmony.

Travel a bit deeper, and that illusion was destroyed.

Ingrained deep in the heart of the Prison, removed well past "impenetrable" stone walls and legions of arrow-enabled slingshots, complete with roughly a 1000 of China's finest rhino warriors - was a sole snow leopard, completely alone in a massive citadel.

He was the only one.

The Prison had been made just for him.

An insult.

It wasn't worthy of holding someone like him.

Yet he could do nothing about it. His massive forearms were shackled and tied via chains, attached to large boulders dangling off the platform he was kneeling down on. A green and black turtle shell, complete with pressure point arresting Jade needles furrowed into the shell's holes - kept the snow leopard from moving in any direction. The only free part of him - the part that the warden of the prison had just stepped on a few moments prior - was the tail.

 _Tai Lung_.

The snow leopard startled, yellow eyes flashing open at the sudden voice. He scanned the surrounding environment to detect whoever was there.

Just rocks. Metal. The empty platform. The citadel.

No one was there.

 _I am real, boy_.

Tai Lung growled, thinking the warden was here somewhere.

"Vachir," the leopard spat, bass in the voice reverberating across the citadel. "If you're going to torture me again, just get it over with…"

Tai Lung paused, expecting a response.

"VACHIR!" he roared. "ANSWER ME!"

 _There is a feather that will land near you. Use it to pick the lock on this shell._

Tai Lung grew increasingly more irritated, unable to rotate his head yet absolutely sure that no one was there.

"Vachir, what did you put in these needles?" Tai Lung asked to the empty room. "A poison? A HALLUCINOGEN! IT WON'T WORK! I - "

A soft feeling. Something landed near his tail.

Tai Lung wanted to growl, but stopped.

It felt too soft. Too thin.

A feather.

 _Don't question me, boy_.

Tai Lung gasped, for the first time in many years - felt some semblance of fear.

"Who - who are you? _Where_ are you?"

No answer. Tai Lung slowly began curling his tail around the feather.

"Answer me!" the snow leopard yelled.

 _I don't answer to you boy, because I am not in your head._

"Then what are you?" Tai Lung asked more calmly. "Where are you? Who's speaking? I - "

 _In time, I will reveal all to you - boy. But for now - focus on getting out._

Tai Lung obeyed no one, but he did listen to this.

The tail went up, gently guiding the feather into the central lock in the shell. Tai Lung's ears pricked up, gently listening for the clinks in the lock.

 _Clink._

 _Clank._

 _Clink._

A pause. He had to be careful. He slammed down his tail.

Another pause. The Jade needles began loosening, twisting outwards as the counter-mechanism began activating.

Tai Lung breathed out fully, for the first time in twenty years.

"Ahhh - ergh - Ahhh…"

 _Make it quick, boy._

Tai Lung was growing irritated of the voice, but chose not to act against it.

He was out now.

He flexed his back, ripping at the thin remnant of the deactivated Jade Shell. With a powerful movement outward, the Shell cracked into harsh chunks, scattering across the rock platform and into the abyss around it.

A chatter of noises came above him. Tai Lung could just barely make out Vachir hundreds of feet above him, firmly protected on top of the guard wall. Next to him was the messenger - the bird he knew _had_ to have come from the Jade Palace.

Tai Lung could make out the symbol.

 _Be careful. They will start firing arrows at you soon._

The snow leopard's ears pricked up, hearing a faint _whizzing_ noise as the unmistakable sound of air being cut in two approached.

Tai Lung looked up. A large, wooden, metal-tipped arrow came right at his head.

He swerved to the right, letting the arrow push itself into the ground.

 _Stay alert. There's more._

More _whizzing_ noises. Tai Lung caught a glimpse of at least three or four arrows propelling themselves towards him - all at his head.

Vachir was scared. He should be.

Tai Lung only had to move his head a few times to the left and to the right. None of the arrows made a mark.

 _Dodge to your left. It'll cut one of the chains._

Tai Lung obeyed without question.

The arrow came, perfectly cleaving one of the forearm chains into pieces. It took him a moment to rip the second shackle from his wrist. The boulders - the same stones that had held him in place for twenty years - were gone.

It was over. He was out.

"Tai Lung is free!" the snow leopard heard above him, from the Jade Palace messenger bird. "I must warn Shifu!"

Shifu.

Tai Lung growled. Memories came flooding through him. He watched the rope-operated elevator ascend away and into the ceiling.

 _Stay sharp boy. There's another one coming your way._

Tai Lung was getting annoyed with the constant usage of "boy".

But it was never wrong. Another arrow came screaming through the damp air.

Tai Lung perfectly positioned his claws and wrist, flicking the arrow upwards. With a simple leap and sidekick to the center of the arrow, it went back faster than it had been fired - splintering the crossbow machine in two.

 _Do the same thing with the arrows in the ground. Jump on them._

Tai Lung smiled harshly. He pulled the grounded arrows into the air and flawlessly spin-kicked the centers.

They embedded themselves into the wall.

 _Well done. You will be very useful to me…_

Tai Lung smiled, not knowing but also not caring.

 **. . .**

Alf couldn't believe his eyes.

He wasn't sure what - or who - Po had been listening to, but the giant panda had somehow managed to get back his abnormally steely resolve and force himself into the Palace Courtyard, propping his legs onto two bamboo sticks in a split position. It was still very early in the morning however, so there were two advantages for Alf: primarily, the dim sunlight was not fully capable of showcasing Po's jiggling body as he tried to flex his torso into unnatural positions, and secondly - no one was around yet. The Five were asleep, Shifu was asleep, and he hadn't seen Yu in a while.

Yu.

Had he gone too far last time?

"Alf, a little help?" Po suddenly broke in.

Alf sighed, watching the irony of Po failing to do a split right on top of the Jade Palace emblem painted onto the central area in the open courtyard.

" _No_ ," Alf firmly responded. "I'm not going to see you hurt yourself like this. And what happened to trying to get the autographs and split? Did Monkey get back to you?"

The panda groaned, giving up on stretching from such an awkward position. "Yeah - about that… I'm staying man."

Alf practically choked on the air he was breathing. "Wait - what?"

Po shook his head defiantly. "I - "

"What are you doing here?!"

Shifu's suddenly irritated voice - as sleuthy as it was irritated - cut through the conversation like a hot butter knife.

"Oh, hi, um - Good morning, Master!" Po responded first, returning to his dismal attempt at stretching his legs. "I just thought I'd warm up, a little…"

"You're stuck," Shifu groaned.

 _Well duh_ , Alf thought - privately trying to inch away. He couldn't fully leave because that might tempt Shifu into shocking him Yfor no reason, but he couldn't stay too close to the action and risk getting shocked for "getting in the way".

More importantly, he had to talk to Oogway so he could get the damn collar off.

Even more importantly, he had to find u again.

Had he really been insensitive? She asked him questions about _his_ past. It was only natural to return the favor…

 _KRACK!_

Alf realized he wasn't paying attention. Po was standing upright now, and both suddenly saw Tigress split-kick some tiles in the air and land on the ground gently. A piece of the debris landed on Po's head - the panda tried to hide a chunk behind his back.

"Put. That. Down!" Shifu commanded. "The only souvenirs we collect here - are bloody knuckles, and broken bones."

"Yeah!" Po agreed foolishly. "Excellent!"

Shifu smiled evilly at him. "Let's get started."

Alf still felt in a perpetual state of disbelief, but could accurately predict what would happen now as the Five and Shifu rounded up against Po - almost in a single-file line for punishment.

Viper was the first.

"Are you ready?" she asked rather redundantly.

"I was born ready - " Po began. "AUGH! OWW! AH!"

Alf groaned. Po was on the floor, upside down and writhing in pain.

 _What did I do wrong?_ Alf questioned internally. Yu had made every attempt to be friendly with him, now suddenly she decides that she would rather keep _some things_ private? Was that even fair, considering how open he was being with her?

And why did he even care?

Monkey was next, spinning a bamboo stick in all his limbs with deft precision. Po was given one of his own, but this might have actually worked to his disadvantage rather than the opposite.

He was hit multiple times - then blocked one. But before Po could properly celebrate, a well-placed hit to the cranium sent the panda down.

 _That totally came out of the blue_ , Alf emphasized to himself. _I was like - totally being forthcoming with her. I even made a joke before…_

 _Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe she had something worse to hide._

 _Maybe she was scared._

 _Maybe I shouldn't think I'm the only guy with a horrible life._

Some rumbles from inside the Training Hall - Alf barely noticed that the Five, Shifu, and Po had gone inside again.

 _I have to find her. It's the only way to say sorry._

He had to.

She was the only one - in all the years he had been in the Valley - to look at him different.

As someone.

Not a fleshling. Not a Seeker.

Just Alfalfa.

He smiled.

"What are you smiling at, boy?"

Alf shut his eyes, cursing himself.

Shifu and most of the Five were outside again. Po was still inside - presumably sparring with Crane, as he was the only one missing.

"I said," Shifu reiterated. "What are you smiling about - boy?"

Alf kept his eyes down to the ground, feeling the collar slightly fizz - but not activate. He had to play this smart.

"It's involuntary, _Master_ Shifu," Alf proclaimed, stressing the _Master_ as hard as possible. "It's a See - I mean, _fleshling_ thing. The healers tell me it's because of our abnormal um - brain development. Low intelligence…"

This was a flat-out lie. However, after realizing that the best way to calm down Shifu was through self-derogatory comments, Alf didn't feel so much that it was a lie - but rather insurance.

So the collar would be kept at bay.

But Shifu kept a stare at him. The Five watched in earnest confusion. There was a kind of tinted eagerness behind their gazes, but also a sense of apprehension.

Over what was to come.

"Do you know - what _legend_ says about the _Seekers_ , students?" Shifu asked rhetorically, walking slowly around Alf's position.

The sunlight was beating down. The Five twitched. Alf merely kept his cool. Nothing was alarming yet.

" _Ferocious_ ," Shifu answered, still pacing. " _Terrible._ Legend tells us that for every scroll of kung fu that was written - the _Seekers_ had ten more."

Alf nodded. "Yeah - I sort of get the impression that they were sort of messed up, you know?"

A few chuckles from Viper and Mantis.

"You want to know what I think?" Shifu asked, again rhetorically.

No one spoke for a minute. Alf - as much as he tried to prevent it - gave a gaze to the Five. Tigress ignored him, while Monkey merely returned the stare with mildly sympathetic looks. The rest were determined to not participate in this.

Po and Crane made their way out, Po limping and tired. They both silenced themselves at the scene unfolding in front of them.

"I think," Shifu went on, walking closer to Alf. "They were _cowards_."

Another pause. Alf nodded his head in quiet obedience.

"They were _cowards_ who nearly ran kung fu, the world, and everything in it into the ground," Shifu whispered. "They were the weakest, the worst, the biggest _scum_ on Earth."

The longest pause thus far. Alf kept himself from staring at Shifu, seeing a finger gently lay itself on the button.

The red button.

Shifu was just waiting for an excuse.

Alf wouldn't give it to him.

"Prove me wrong then, boy." Shifu commanded, stepping back and getting into a fight stance.

Alf gasped, looking back at the Five and Po. The panda merely shrugged his shoulders in confusion, still tired.

"What?" Alf asked. "You want me to - AUGH!"

Shifu had picked the boy up, slamming him down into the ground.

An onslaught of shocks. It was temporary, but painful.

Alf gasped for air. He watched the Five and Po observe him with interest. He had noted the progression of their looks towards him over time - at first it seemed hateful, then indifferent, and now - well, it still felt indifferent, but there something else.

Pity.

"I said, _prove me wrong_ ," Shifu demanded, walking away and resuming his fight stance. "The true path to victory - "

He grabbed Alf's torso, spinning it in his hand before slamming it again on the ground.

" - is to find the opponent's weakness, and make him _suffer_ for it!"

Shifu instantly flipped Alf over, taking his arm and returning it to the twisted position he had so often put the boy in.

"I suppose you proved my point, fleshling," Shifu stated, twisting the arm again. "The Seekers were _cowards_."

And something finally snapped. Alf had enough. It had been too much.

Too many times.

The same thing.

"ENOUGH!"

Alf roared, using his free arm to swing viciously behind him - making direct contact. Shifu stumbled for a bit, having moved a solid four feet away from the boy.

Alf quickly exchanged a glance with Po and the Five. They looked shocked.

He knew he had made a mistake.

"Shifu, I - AUGH!"

The shock came back. It was bigger this time.

More unforgiving.

"Please!" Alf begged, seeing just the vague outlines of Shifu and the Five surround him. "Stop! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm - ERGH!"

It was getting worse. He couldn't control the pain.

His vision was becoming hazy.

"HOW DARE - "

His heart was beating faster than it ever had.

" - YOU EVEN LAY A FINGER - "

His head was swelling. His chest was heaving.

" - ON ME, FLESHLING!"

He couldn't breathe. He was close to the end.

"I WILL TEACH YOU RESPECT TODAY, BOY!"

He was going to die.

"Master."

The pain stopped. Alf couldn't get off the floor. He couldn't see anything except fuzzy outlines.

The voice was oddly soft.

Alf focused his eyes. Tigress was near Shifu, arms folded back respectfully. He couldn't see her face.

"Killing the fleshling won't look good for the Palace," Tigress stated bluntly. "Don't concern yourself with him."

Shifu's finger quivered on the button. Alf's hands flew into a submissive pose, begging for mercy.

"Very well," Shifu agreed, taking his finger off. "Why don't you be in _charge_ of this, Tigress?"

Shifu handed Tigress the device, gently easing her finger onto the red button as Alf kept his gaze on the floor and away from the button.

"It is not an _honor_ ," Shifu spat, looking at Alf. "I just fear that if this _thing_ is in my hands - I don't know how far I'd go."

"I appreciate you trusting me with this, Master," Tigress replied, taking the device while bowing slightly. "I promise to keep this _dog_ on a tight leash."

Shifu walked away, dragging Po into another part of the Courtyard before starting to fight him as well.

Alf ignored the sounds of Po wailing in pain. "Thank you, Master Tigress."

Tigress looked unreadable as always. "Don't mention it."

"No really I - "

" _Ever_."

Tigress harshly pulled Alf close to her, staring with pure loathing at him.

Alf nodded. He was thrown back to the ground.

 **. . .**

To an outside observer - Chorh-Gom Prison almost looked serene.

In a second, it wasn't.

An explosion came. A sudden burst of rhino guards - at least hundreds of heavily armored warriors - came crashing out of the prison and into the snowy, mountainous terrains of a Mongolian mountainscape.

A lone bird crashed outside, roughly coughing out snow.

Zeng was scared. He had to go now, before -

"EEK!"

Something grabbed him by the throat. A smooth bass voice came behind him.

"Shifu sent you, hmmm?" Tai Lung let out, mockingly petting the quivering bird's feathers. "Good - I was worrying that I'd been forgotten. Tell him…"

Tai Lung moved closer, feeling Zeng's feathers practically go in an epileptic fit.

" - the _real_ Dragon Warrior, is coming _home_."

Tai Lung tossed Zeng in the air like a ball, watching the bird squawk and fiddle around in the cold, windy air for a while before zooming off into snowy darkness.

 _Well done. Now do what we have planned._

Tai Lung let out an animal growl. He was letting the world know. He was letting them all know.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yay! More KFP scenes!_

 _One thing I will note is that because I'm doing a remake of KFP 1-3 - I really want to pretend we're doing the whole movies over again, with new concepts like Alf obviously. So don't worry about if it goes slow sometimes, there will be payoffs! And remember - I have LOTS, LOTS (i mean lots) of new material to introduce, new twists and turns… hehe…_

 _Loving all the support guys._

 _~TW_


	8. KFP 1:8

**"Beginning the End"  
**

* * *

"AUGH! OWW! I thought acupuncture was supposed to make me feel - ERGH - BETTER?!"

"Trust me, it will," Mantis affirmed, walking up to Po's shoulders. "It's just difficult to find the right nerve points under all this - um - "

"Fat?" Po finished for him.

" - _fur_." Mantis lied. "I was gonna say fur…"

Po tried to roll his eyes, but realized that a needle was somewhat holding them in place. "Sure you were…"

"I mean - who am I to judge a warrior by his size? I mean - look at _me_." Mantis continued, sighing as Po tried to locate his diminutive frame. "Over _here_."

He jabbed a sharp needle into the panda's scapula, earning a vicious jolt from Po. It was bad enough that he had offered to do this - and Po had taken him up on it - but it was worse that it was nighttime, Crane and Monkey were trying to sleep, and Viper had somehow lost the nerve chart that would have made this process so much simpler. The dorm's narrow hallways bounced and amplified every little noise Po made, which Mantis was sure would become enough to cause someone to start a fight over.

"I know he's trying to like - inspire me and all… " Po began. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd say Master Shifu's trying to get rid of me. Haha, um - "

Mantis exchanged a glance with Viper. Both smiled gently towards Po.

"At least I don't have the worst of it," Po noted. "Poor Al -"

The panda stopped himself, knowing better than to bring up Alf right now. Mantis however, saw right through this.

"Dude, what exactly is the deal with you and the kid?" Mantis asked, resuming his acupuncturing work. "We've seen some crazy stuff before, but an actual Seeker…"

"You only read about them in children's scrolls and the legends," Viper interrupted, adjusting her bow with her tail. "Then again, this kid - what'd you say his name was?"

"Alfalfa," Po finished for her.

"Right, that - he doesn't seem like any Seeker I've ever read about."

"Yeah well," Po mulled. "I didn't know what the heck he was when I first met him. This weird, furless, clawless thing… but he and I got together pretty well since then."

"How old were you?" Mantis questioned, pricking another needle into Po's shoulder.

"Probably eight or ten," Po noted. "He's a little younger than me. We used to play tag together… well, used to - that was before - "

Po stopped, unsure whether to continue.

"Before what?" came a new, stern voice.

Po stopped, watching the new figure standing in the now open dorm entrance.

Tigress narrowed her eyes at Po. "Panda, before what?"

"You know," Crane's voice came through from the adjacent room. "We're not really supposed to talk about the kid…"

"If he's going to stay here," Tigress started. "We should know. Everything."

Po gulped, watching Tigress approach with an angry stare.

"Before my dad banned me from talking to him," Po continued. "I've been sort of sneaking him into my room for the past few years, usually when he can't take the cold outside…"

"What was he like before you two idiots met?" Tigress asked with a huff. "Dangerous? Anything I should know about?"

Po could practically hear her reaching for the button which would almost inevitably end up causing Alf immense pain. He wanted to sidetrack the conversation immediately, but the question was intriguing...

Po often wondered about Alf's history for many years. "I don't know. He doesn't talk to me much about it, or says he doesn't know much, which could be true too…"

"I mean he must have been like six or seven, right?" Viper speculated. "I don't think even _he_ remembers."

"From what the villagers tell me," Po continued. "He sort of was _here_ since well - since being born, I guess."

"In the Valley?" Mantis queried. "Can Seekers even be _born_? Have an actual Mom and Dad?"

"There's probably some weird witch in the woods who assembles them," Monkey's voice broke in from yet another adjacent room. "Tries to put the ugliest parts of every single creature on Earth into one, super-ugly, deformed _thing_ … then adds some poop in the mix, just to spice it up."

Mild chuckles came from the Five, but perhaps not as much they would have several weeks ago. Po kept quiet, being in a particularly vulnerable position with Tigress standing a few feet from him and Mantis still picking away at his backside with sharp needles.

"Point is, he's not trying to get in anybody's way," Po emphasized. "He's just a kid, yanno? And despite that little yelly-screamy match he had a while ago with Shifu - he doesn't deserve this, really."

The Five stayed absolutely quiet. Po didn't dare try to get any sort of agreement from them.

"And besides, he's gonna be out of our fur soon," Po denoted, remembering Alf's promise to get Oogway to remove the shock collar - facilitating his escape. "Trust me."

"Speaking of which - Po," Crane's voice came again. "Are you - really going through with this?"

The same awkward silence came again. Po attempted to read the Five's expressions this time - Mantis and Viper looked doubtful, Tigress was of course harsh and unforgiving, while Monkey's peeking head quickly retreated into his own dorm as quickly as Po stared at him.

"Listen guys, I can totally understand why everyone's sort of - " Po struggled to find the right words. " - _not supercool_ with me being chosen, I mean - I get it."

Po paused, making sure everyone was calm enough to continue.

"But I sort of - you know, just wanna at least _try_ ," Po stressed, remembering his conversation with Oogway. "So maybe I fail. Maybe I can't fight like you guys. Maybe I end up embarrassing myself. Maybe I'm just like - a total loser…"

The pause was involuntary this time, as Po tried to keep his composure.

"But at least I can go to bed knowing I _tried_ ," the panda finally continued. "And if I end up wasting everyone's time - don't worry, I'll just pick up the autographs and _skedaddle,_ you know?"

Monkey's head drooped slightly to this.

"But I gotta try." Po finished. "I gotta - DOYEE!"

Po's face seized, stretching itself into a deformed grin while his limbs locked up.

Some of the Five chuckled. Tigress raised her paw in anger.

"OH THAT IS IT!" she roared.

"WAIT! MY FAULT!" Mantis reappeared from behind Po's back. "I ACCIDENTALLY TWEAKED HIS FACIAL NERVE!"

Po collapsed forward, showing easily 150 needles shoved into his back.

"And - may have also stopped his heart," Mantis ended, prodding at the unresponsive panda's face.

 **. . .**

Alf couldn't find Yu.

He had spent nearly four hours searching - going to the rock she had shown him outside the Valley, deftly checking every room in the Palace, walking through the Valley and calling her name…

And after having several shoes and derogatory names thrown his way by villagers, Shifu, and another round of good shocking - he had given up.

Not on Yu - but on the situation.

She would present herself again. He had verified her position with the Palace guards (after bypassing some more demeaning epithets) - she really was a caterer.

He had more important matters to attend to.

Oogway. He was the only one who would even remotely think about removing the collar.

So here he was, scaling the ridiculously uncomfortable mountain slope that would lead him to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom - the one definite place Alf knew Oogway would like to spend his nights meditating.

Alf jumped over a nearby rock, immediately returning back and hiding behind it as a few new voices came. He could just make out the peach tree and the tips of green grass, moonlight shining through the back.

"You must continue your journey without me."

"Wait - what are you - Master!"

Alf's ears twitched. He peeked above the rock.

Oogway was there.

But so was Shifu.

Oogway had a spectacular aura of petals revolving around him. Something in the air felt different, and Alf felt shameful for watching. This felt too private, too sincere - something with an air of finality was occurring.

"You can't leave me!" Shifu begged, Oogway's staff in his hands. Alf could make out a few tears just gently rolling down his face.

The old turtle gently locked his arms together, closing the aged eyes. He looked accepting.

"You must… believe…."

The aura of petals wrapped themselves around Oogway. The light was intense - too intense to look at directly.

Then Alf realized what was happening.

Oogway had disappeared. A chiral of flower petals, smoothly oscillating away from Shifu and Alf - flew into the bright night sky. The petals grew farther and farther away, until the only thing left was Shifu on his knees, staff clutched close to his chest.

A brief whimper.

Alf suppressed a gasp. He took a second to adjust his collar, then sprinted down the mountain in the hopes that tonight was merely a dream.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Shortie but hopefully a goodie… I'm trying to budget out all the key scenes and obviously adapt to them to this fic. And again, don't worry - it's all building up… Movie scripts are typically about 7500-20000 words, so I'm trying to tell a good story with more words!  
_

 _Shoutout to all the viewers still sticking it in for the long-haul. And I'm always flattered by the support you guys show. :)_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: DragonChronicle: seems like we're wired by one brain given our concurrent publishing dates!_

 _Anyone who's reading, go check out his stuff too - it's flat out amazing. (I gotta get off my lazy a** and start supporting it too...)_


	9. KFP 1:9

" **A Symphony of Fears"**

* * *

"YU!"

The silver-grey fox whipped around, fur bristling in the moonlight. Her frame was sitting gently on the rock projecting into the night sky, completely in harmony with the smooth breeze.

"What is it Alf?" the fox noted with a slight smirk. "You need something?"

Alf was standing a few feet from her, gazing at her form sitting calmly above him. She was exactly where he had expected her to be - on the boulder, the spot she had showed him, the rare rock of serenity laying well away from the Valley and the Palace.

Right in the middle of that damn grassfield.

"What's with you?" Alf asked harshly. "No pun intended."

She gave out a small giggle. "Whaddya mean?"

He was surprised. Alf leapt on top of the rock, wordlessly asking her to make space for him. "You've been avoiding me since that night."

She shot him a quizzical, highly disturbed look. "What night?"

Alf grew even more frustrated. "You know - when I asked you about your history and stuff…"

Yu took a solid seven seconds to think over what he was saying. A burst of laughter followed.

"Wh - what?" she let out between cackles. "You - you - oh you're so _cute_!"

She extended two slender fingers towards Alf, pinching his cheek. The boy slapped them away, jumping down from the rock.

"I was just out of town, you nimwit!" Yu yelled with a grin, leaping down as well. "Don't tell me you really thought _that_ little conversation we had… Alf!"

She caught up to him, yanking his arm back.

"I thought you were mad at me!" he roared at her. "I ask you _one_ question about your past and you suddenly just leave and don't show up for a week…"

"Alf…"

"And now when I show up, you're all _you're so cute Alf I mean -_ "

"Alf!"

"Like what is up with you? Are you even - "

"ALF!"

"WHAT?!"

She stopped laughing, although a smile remained - though it was understanding now, not gleeful.

"You _didn't_ offend me that night," she mentioned calmly, letting go of her grip on Alf's arm. "It just brought up sort of - well, bad stuff - and I wanted to leave, that's all. _Nothing_ to do with you."

Alf breathed more slowly now. "So you weren't avoiding me for the last week?"

" _No_ ," Yu firmly renounced. "I was out of town. Did you - want to see me last week?"

"No!" Alf equally stated. "Yes! I mean - it'd be just nice to yanno - see some familiar faces and - "

He paused, frowning as Yu struggled to suppress a laugh.

"Never mind," he finished.

"Oh come on!" Yu began with another grin. "I leave for just a week and suddenly you get all sensitive about - "

"I'm not sensitive about - "

"I mean it's cute, really…"

"Just shut up."

"I mean, you obviously haven't talked to any real people in a long while - or made a lot of friends…"

Alf couldn't hold back an involuntary smile, walking back to the grey rock. He perched himself atop it, followed by Yu as she sat smiling next to him.

"I'm not usually that _needy_ ," Alf retorted. "I was just concerned…"

She didn't stop smiling.

"Look you're right, okay?" Alf focused. "I don't have much experience with having _friends_."

"Well first thing," Yu started, smile fading into a mock-serious expression. " _Friends_ hang out when they want to - not when one dude gets so _aww I wish I could see so-and-so again…_ "

Alf stayed quiet, acknowledging that he somewhat deserved this.

Yu wrapped her grip around his right arm. "Like I said - it's cute. So I'll give you a pass this time."

"I don't suppose you're gonna tell me what you were doing then, while you were gone?" Alf asked.

"Nope, I'm not," Yu emphasized with another grin. "Second rule of having friends - no unnecessary prying into people's business…"

"You seemed pretty interested in my life when we first met…"

"Because you were _that_ kid!" Yu stressed with exasperation. "The Seeker! The fleshling! How could I pass it up?"

Alf snorted. "I would have."

Yu ignored this. "The Valley knew you existed, but to show yourself in public like that, especially during the Dragon Warrior tournament…"

" _I_ didn't want any of that!" Alf fired back. "Po's stupid plans… _sure Alf, let's rocket up into the sky and fall right in front of Oogway_ …"

He paused.

Oogway.

Yu seemed to notice this. "What's wrong?"

"Oogway's gone," Alf bluntly stated. "And with that, any hope of getting this collar off is gone too."

Yu reacted as if someone had just stabbed her. "Wait what? Oogway's - "

"Dead," Alf again factually noted. "Gone-o. In the ground - or in the air, as I seem to remember."

"Don't disrespect him Alf!" Yu spat. "That old turtle gave me a job and food! He - well how did he - pass? Why were you even there?"

Alf shook his head. "Just going to ask him to remove the collar. Shifu was there too - and all of a sudden, Oogway says Shifu has to _continue his journey_ without him - and he sort of just disappeared with the flower petals."

"By the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom," Yu observed. "By the Scrolls - you're not lying about this, right?"

Alf huffed. "Why would I? Means I've got to deal with this damn thing still…"

His fingers fussed with the collar, but Yu kept a harsh gaze at him.

"The literal _Grandmaster_ of Kung Fu just died," Yu noted. "And you're worried about your collar."

"It's not like I knew the guy," Alf observed. "And yeah - having the collar on _changes_ your perspective on things."

"It's not like anyone's shocking you now, right?" Yu asked rhetorically, voice raising in volume. "Obviously it's gonna come off when Shifu realizes Po isn't the - "

"That's not the point!" Alf interrupted with anger. "It's so - _demeaning_! It's like being put on a - "

"Well you should have been used to that by now, right?!" Yu loudly proclaimed. "Being in the Valley for fourteen years, and you're just _now_ getting that people don't _like_ you?!"

Yu stopped, looking at Alf's face. It took her just a moment to realize what she had done wrong.

"I - I didn't mean that," she backtracked. "I was just - Oogway was a great dude to me, okay? I'm just angry that - it doesn't matter."

Alf stayed quiet.

"I couldn't even imagine what it's like to have that thing on," Yu noted. "I didn't mean to - hey!"

Alf slid down from the rock, making his way back down the stony path leading to the Palace. "You're right. You _couldn't_ imagine."

"Alf! I'm sorry!" she called behind him. "I didn't mean it! Oh come on!"

But it was too late - the Seeker was already out of earshot.

 **. . .**

"So I tell him, you might be the scariest bandit in _Ha-Jing Province!_ " Po started, chopping a vegetable cleanly into pieces. "But you're a lousy tipper!"

"Really?" Crane asked. "So how did you get out of there alive?"

"I mean, I didn't actually say that!" Po quickly corrected, effortlessly putting several bowls onto his arm, while filling them with noodle soup with another. "But I thought it, in - in my mind…"

The Dining Mess of the Jade Palace felt incredibly familiar to him. Po was used to working in small kitchens (most were, especially in the Valley) - and the Palace had all sorts of delicious ingredients that the panda was horrified over - horrified that they hadn't been eaten yet.

"If he could've read my mind, he would have been like - _what_?" Po finished, mocking a tough voice. "Order up! If you like it…"

He passed the bowls of noodle soup cleanly across the table, watching them descend perfectly into all the Five's reach. Immediately, most of them leapt on it and picked up their spoons - slurping the soup down. Only Tigress was hesitant, grabbing two chopsticks to prod at the soup with feigned disgust.

"Wow," Mantis let out. "This is really good!"

"Nah you should try my dad's secret ingredient soup!" Po noted with a slight smile. "He actually knows the uh - secret ingredient…"

"What are you talking about?" Viper emphasized. "This is amazing!"

"Wow you're a really good cook!"

"I wish my mouth was bigger!"

The praise kept coming. Po grinned wider than he ever had in his life.

"Tigress," Monkey started. "You've got to - "

"Students!"

Po froze, standing upright with a scared stance. He knew that voice. The Five acted even more robotic than Po did.

Shifu was at the door. His eyes were slightly puffy and red. Master Oogway's staff was in his hand.

The Five and Po knew something was wrong.

"Master Oogway has passed," Shifu breathed quietly. "I am sorry that you all had to hear this from me."

The Five gasped. Po felt dumbfounded.

Nothing was processing.

"I - also, I have to - no - I _need_ to tell you that Tai Lung has broken out of prison," Shifu added. "He's on his way."

There were no gasps now. Just a stern quietness - as well as a dignified sadness from Shifu. Po recognized the name immediately.

Tai Lung.

First to master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu.

Strongest Master to have ever lived, seconded only by Oogway.

And now Oogway was gone.

"And here I was, thinking you got no sense of humor!" Po began. "I - "

"Panda," Tigress started dangerously. "You say another word and I will put you through the window."

Po shut up almost instantaneously.

"Our only hope - is the Dragon Warrior," Shifu finished, heavy frown taking place.

"The panda?!" Tigress growled.

"Yes the panda!" Shifu forced.

"Master please!" Tigress pleaded, standing up to shake the whole dining table. "Let us stop Tai Lung, this is what you've trained us for!"

"No!" Shifu emphasized. "It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung - it is his!"

He pointed the staff at Po, who was still silent.

He had made a mistake. He should have got the autographs from Monkey and left like Alf had told him to.

"No it isn't," Po stated quietly. "I - I'm sorry for dragging this along for so much time. I'll just head to the dorms and pack up my - "

"No!" Shifu yelled. "You will stay here, and fight him - panda!"

"Master Shifu, come on!" Po begged. "I knew I was making a mistake doing this - I just didn't realize it until now!"

"PERHAPS!" Shifu screamed back, pausing himself forcefully. "But perhaps we don't have time to argue anymore - we just have to trust Oogway's wisdom! Why did you even come back for training last time, just to get beaten by half of the Five and myself?"

"He sort of, I don't know, inspired me - okay?" Po mentioned frantically, disconcerted with how quiet the Five were. "Oogway just made me feel better after a super _uncool_ day! It didn't mean anything! I was eating peaches when - "

"Yes, it does - _mean something_!" Shifu forced. "Panda, you may wish that Oogway hadn't picked you now - and even I would have wished that - but we have no choice now! You - "

Po knew this was too much.

He had been playing the joke out for too long.

Time to take action.

He leapt out the open window, bamboo lightly caving in behind him.

Shifu watched the open hole with anger. He paced back and forth, almost looking like he was trying to decide on something.

After a minute, he decided.

He began walking out of the dining area.

"Master," Tigress quietly asked, voice furious but restrained. "Were you the only one watching when Oogway passed?"

"I thought I heard someone behind me," Shifu noted. "But at the time - it didn't matter."

He rushed outside of the room, evidently to catch Po.

"What are you thinking, Tigress?" Monkey asked, with a slight fear twinging his voice.

"I'm going to go find out what _really_ happened to Master Oogway," Tigress spat. "And I know _exactly_ where to start."

"But what about talking about what just happened?" Mantis interrupted with concern. "Master Oogway passed away? Tai _freaking_ Lung is out of prison? What's next - a giant army of killer walnuts comes to destroy China?"

"You heard our Master," Tigress emphasized, carelessly throwing her food away. "Now is the time for action - not words."

With that, she sprinted out of the Dining Mess.

 **. . .**

 _Ignorant._

 _Stupid._

 _Mean._

 _Heartless._

 _Foxy little mean bit -_

Alf stopped himself, trying to reel in his train of thought. He was well away from the rock now, traveling up the harsh grey steps leading up to the Palace dormitories. He hoped that Po would let him sneak in somehow again.

If he had to be honest with himself, he might have slightly overreacted - Yu hadn't said anything harsh to him, and there was a certain affability to the way she had tried to make up.

Yet it was different. Something about her words, her reluctance to share her past - something didn't feel right.

He was used to be seen as an exotic freak. That was tolerable.

It was different to be betrayed. That was a new feeling.

Yet had she really betrayed him? Or was he just overreacting?

 _She was just angry because of Oogway_ , Alf reasoned. _Maybe I should_ …

He stopped, hearing voices above and to the right. Alf instantly dove behind a rock, seeing two figures just standing in front of him - approximately a hundred steps away - arguing in the bright moonlight.

A panda and a smaller red panda.

"You're not my master. And I'm not the Dragon Warrior!"

Po was saying this. Alf knew Shifu was speaking to him.

A silent burst of joy. Was it finally happening? Were they finally leaving the Palace?

"Then why didn't you quit?!" Shifu spat back. "You know I was trying to get rid of you, yet you stayed!"

"Yeah - I stayed!" Po began.

What followed was something of a revelation to Alf. He had never seen Po act so vulnerable, so hurt, almost as if Shifu had finally pried open a deep layer of regret and shame beneath the dense layers of humor and over-the-top colloquialisms - and found something much darker.

" - It could never hurt more than it did, of every day of my life just being me!"

This hit Alf particularly hard. All the time he had known Po, he had never seen the panda ever express anything like this.

Sadness.

Shame.

Fear.

He wanted to run and hug Po. He wanted to let him cry his massive head against his shoulders. He wanted to heal his soul - the same way he had done so often for Alf, when he had showed up at Mr. Ping's… bone broken from a bigoted villager, or face bleeding from a guard attack, or anything else.

Yet he couldn't. Not now. Not with the collar on. Not without understanding what was happening.

Why was Po changing his mind?

"You like to watch in the shadows, hmm?"

Alf turned around, fear gripping him.

The fear was physical.

Tigress.

She effortlessly pinned him against the rock, yellow eyes flashing in pure rage.

"How did you do it?" she breathed, fangs exposing themselves to Alf.

Alf found it difficult to breathe, with her massive paw nearly suffocating him while the other one held both his arms above his head.

"Do - ergh - what?" Alf weakly whispered back.

He had to somehow escape. Not just Tigress was an issue - if Shifu saw what was happening…

"Don't _lie_ to me, fleshling," Tigress forced, pressing her paw more harshly against Alf's throat. "How you killed Oogway."

Alf couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't have time for this.

"I - what?" was all Alf could manage.

"You killed him," Tigress whispered softly, voice completely malicious. "It had to be - so - hard, hmm? Killing a grandmaster in cold blood like that - heh - only a _Seeker_ could…"

"I had nothing to do with it," Alf desperately attempted, still hearing Po argue with Shifu in the background. They hadn't discovered him yet. "Please - Master Tigress - "

"As soon as you and that fat panda come here," Tigress spat. "Master Oogway dies. _Tai Lung_ escapes Chorh-Gom. What else have you been planning, Seeker?"

"I - don't even - know who that is," Alf tried, voice becoming smaller and smaller. " _Tai Lung_? Who is that? Please, I - "

Then it came. The fear.

Tigress pulled out the red button. She twirled it in the paw holding back both his arms.

Alf had never felt so exposed in his life. A blow to the chest would kill him. A sustained shock could kill him. If Tigress was feeling up to it, she could even bite into his neck and end it all.

"Please - " Alf choked out. "Just - please…"

Tigress' finger began moving towards the button.

"WAIT!"

Alf couldn't consciously make out what was happening. A blur of images followed.

A silver-grey fox.

Tigress's pressure on his throat and arms slacked a bit.

Some arguments.

Tigress left him. She sprinted away, jumping onto a nearby Valley rooftop hundreds of feet away.

Alf adjusted his eyes gradually.

"We cool now?" came a soft, sweetened voice.

Yu.

"No," Alf noted, fading out of consciousness. "But we're even."

Yu smiled. Alf blacked out.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _AN extremely important chapter to write well, hopefully I did! As always, I'll be putting new twists on things… Hopefully the ending didn't feel rushed, I wanted to create a sense of urgency now that everyone knows Oogway is gone...  
_

 _The amount of new support has been insane. I thank you all, sincerely. :D_

 _~TW_


	10. KFP 1:10

" **Changes"**

* * *

 _You are doing well, boy_.

Tai Lung - legs exhausted from traveling incredible distances, with only minor infusions of food and water - stopped his pace, kneeling to the thick grassland. He had been climbing mountains for the last few hours, and the last thing he wanted to hear was the "voice" backhandedly complimenting him again.

"Why do you insist on talking all the time?" the snow leopard growled. "Get. Out. Of. My. Head…"

 _You haven't yet completed my plan._

"Revenge against the Palace is _my_ plan," Tai Lung forcibly corrected, eyes watering from the high elevation and cold, windy air. "Killing Shifu is _my_ plan. Taking the Dragon Scroll is _my_ plan."

 _Whatever you wish, boy._

"I AM NOT A BOY!" Tai Lung roared into the bright, sunny sky. "WHERE ARE YOU, SPIRIT?! GET DOWN FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE - AND LET ME KILL - "

 _Be silent. I am trying to help you._

"Yet you insist on berating me, calling me juvenile names…"

 _If you knew how old I am, boy - you would call yourself an infant._

Tai Lung stayed silent, confused and irritated beyond his mind.

 _It doesn't matter. See the bridge ahead?_

Tai Lung turned his gaze downward, seeing a long and wiry bridge suspended thousands of feet above misty fog. It was attached loosely to the mountain he was currently scaling, and the other end roped into a precipice of another mountain far away.

"I see it, spirit," Tai Lung whispered.

 _There will be five Masters from the Valley who show up at the other end of the bridge._

 _To fight you._

"Then I will kill them where they stand," the snow leopard proudly declared, unsheathing his claws. "Or even better - cripple them and let them return home, spreading fear into that wretched place…"

 _You do that, and you lose the Dragon Scroll._

Tai Lung snorted. "Explain, spirit."

 _Let's assume that you defeat the Five Masters. You let them live, and return home._

"To strike fear into Shifu's heart!" Tai Lung interrupted.

 _No._

 _Shifu will evacuate the Valley. He will hide or move the Dragon Scroll far from you._

" _I will find it_ ," Tai Lung harshly noted, teeth clenched. "I will find the Dragon Scroll even - "

 _One of the Masters coming is a bird. He can fly all of your defeated opponents back._

 _They will reach there well before you do._

 _Shifu. Will. Evacuate. The. Valley._

 _You will never see the Dragon Scroll again._

"ENOUGH!" Tai Lung screamed. "What - is - the - other - option?"

 _This_.

Tai Lung gasped.

A flurry of noises.

Energy - bright yet dark at the same time - enveloped him.

A moderate humming noise.

Then nothing.

"Wh - what the - "

Tai Lung's old garbs were gone. A new uniform - black and blue, lined with strong stripes touching the corners - was on the snow leopard. A small emblem, detailing a scroll wrapped with a hammer, was engraved into the front of the dress.

"What have you done to me?" Tai Lung whispered, voice seething with rage. "Why have you - how did you - why am I wearing the same uniform of those that held me IN PRISON!"

 _The Five Masters coming will assume you to be a guard._

 _Act like one._

 _Say Tai Lung has broken out of prison._

 _Say you're afraid for your life - say he's already on his way back to the Valley._

 _Ask them to lead you back there._

"I am no coward," Tai Lung spat, beginning to tear off his uniform - simultaneously hearing footsteps approach.

 _Do things your way - and you will never see the Dragon Scroll again._

 _Boy._

The footsteps were growing louder. Tai Lung angrily suppressed a growl.

"I will trust you again, spirit," Tai Lung noted. "But I warn you now, when I take the Dragon Scroll - I shall spare no one - not even you."

The footsteps gave way to five figures leaping from the sky and sprinting across the bridge. Tai Lung focused his eyes - the spirit was correct. A bird flew among the others, followed by a monkey, a praying mantis, a snake, and a female tiger.

They were closing the gap quickly. The five Masters were only ten paces from him.

Tai Lung groaned.

"Help!" the snow leopard yelled, voice in a falsetto. "Help! Tai Lung has broken out of prison! He's on his way!"

The five masters stopped, bringing dust to the surface as they stood at the middle of the bridge.

Tai Lung marched forward in the oversized uniform, clutching his leg to fake a limp.

"He - he killed all of my brothers at Chorh-Gom!" he yelled in false anguish. "He - He's already on his way!"

"Slow down," Tigress emphasized, walking to the uniformed snow leopard with concern. "Where was he going? Why did he do this?"

"He - he broke out - we were no match for his incredible _might_!" Tai Lung noted with the slightest of smirks.

 _Don't overdo it, boy_.

"I - please! You must lead me back to the Valley! We must protect the villagers!" Tai Lung finished.

"He's already broken out - by the Scrolls!" Viper interrupted. "Tigress, we have to move!"

Tigress nodded firmly, looking back at the new individual.

"Can you stand and walk?" she asked, voice gentle and disarmed.

"For the Valley?" Tai Lung whispered. " _Anything_."

"Good," Tigress immediately assured. "Follow us."

Tai Lung grinned, watching the Five lead him across the bridge. He picked up his pace and gently began pursuit.

 _Well played._

 **. . .**

"You may rest for awhile, panda."

"Oh right - _now_ I can rest - oh man…"

Po was out of breath. After Shifu had forcibly dragged him out of his dorm, refusing to speak on anything except silently motioning for Po to follow him - the panda was lead up a transverse section of rocky mountain. Shifu had additionally burdened Po with carrying a massive amount of gear in a backpack straddled to him, and still expected the panda to keep his pace while walking up the steep, winding road.

Po wasn't even sure why he was here, in such a remote location. Around him, elevated hundreds of feet above the Palace and seated well into a secluded cliff - a pool of water was around him. The surface was crystallized and opaque, with almost disturbingly clear reflections permeating the gentle top layer. And in the bright midday sunlight, the reflection illustrated one flabby panda, completely at a loss of what to say.

 _I don't want to be here._

 _I can't beat Tai Lung._

 _I can't be the Dragon Warrior._

Po sighed, realizing he couldn't fight Shifu on this. He scooped some water into his paws, washing his underarms.

"Panda," Shifu interrupted, sitting on the ground meditating. "We do not wash our _pits,_ in the Pool of Sacred Tears."

Po gulped and moved away, flicking the remnant water off his paws while retreating from the pool.

" _Pool of Sacred Tears_ ," Po grumbled. "Am I standing on the _Grassfield of Holy Rain_? Or maybe I'm breathing the _Winds of Amazing Fury_?"

"You still joke, panda," Shifu emphasized, standing up. "Instead of confronting what's inside."

Shifu prodded the center of Po's belly annoyingly.

"Nothing's _inside_ ," Po stressed. "I told you that last night, when you told us Oogway was gone."

"What I saw that night," Shifu gently began. "Was a student desperate for direction."

"Yeah, I sort of got that direction," Po fired back. "The direction away from Tai Lung!"

Shifu groaned. "Panda - we don't have much time. Oogway believed in you. And just for that, I'll choose to believe in anything - even the impossible."

Po chuckled. "Nice vote of confidence…"

"Let's get started."

Po tried to groan again, but his attention was suddenly averted to the appearance of a small white dumpling - held comfortably in Shifu's slender fingers.

"Have a snack first," Shifu advised.

"Great!" Po squealed with joy. "Because I am hungry…"

Po reached for the dumpling.

It moved back several inches.

"What the - " Po began. "Come on Master, just - "

Po tried again, but the hand moved even further back this time.

"Shifu!" Po let out, dropping the respect with annoyance. "Give me the dumpling!"

"Take it," came the simple reply. "If you can."

Po waved his arms quickly. He jumped over Shifu. He spun his legs around and twisted his body, contorting every inch of his physique to reach the dumpling before Shifu's hand could move it away.

Yet he failed. Every time.

"AUGH!" Po vocalized, falling onto his face. "What gives?"

"I _cannot_ train you - the way I have trained the Five," Shifu stated. "But now I understand what Oogway meant - a peach, will always be a peach."

Po felt confused. "What?"

"Again." Shifu demanded.

 **. . .**

The Valley of Peace was a splendid area at evening. This unique time frame in the day occupied a specific niche - when villagers were well inside the constraints of their houses, just beginning to perform daily chores - when guards were lax, little movement in the village, but still enough sunlight to navigate pathways into and out of town. So, in a fitting occasion, Po and Alf had designated times like this to be truly the best times to interact with each other in public - with little fear of retaliation, thrown pots or pans at Alf, or any minor botherations.

But now, the feeling was flipped. Yu and Alf sat in a corner of Mr. Ping's noodle shop, tables empty and restaurant closed as the excitable goose napped behind the counter.

"I feel sorta nervous," Yu began, oscillating on her wooden chair. "Is he nice?"

"The _chillest_ ," Alf noted, smiling. "Po's pretty much the only guy I know to get along with just about everyone."

"Well, it'd be an honor to meet the _Dragon Warrior_ ," Yu emphasized, returning with a grin. "I just wonder how much longer he's gonna keep that up."

"Hopefully not long," Alf remarked. "We made a plan to sorta get some autographs and bail."

"Hey Alf!" Po's voice broke in with a boom. "Sorry I'm late! What the - "

Alf smiled, looking at Yu struggle to fight back a grin.

"I'm Yu," the fox introduced, getting up from the chair and extending a hand.

" _Dude_ …" Po began, sighing but still shaking her hand. " _Noodlefest_ is supposed to be _our_ thing."

"What's _Noodlefest_?" Yu interrupted again, sitting back down as Po pulled a chair for himself to the table.

"We get the tastiest noodles and see who's the feistiest of eaters to win victory over the rowdiest of China's best!" Alf and Po screamed in unison.

Yu chuckled, watching both of them sit down next to her.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"We just get together and eat as much noodles as we can until one of us passes out," Alf translated. "Po usually wins."

"Mhm," Po rejected, wagging his finger. "I _always_ win."

"Nah," Alf countered, leaning back into his chair. "There was that one time that you ate two dinners before _Noodlefest_. I managed to edge you out."

Po silently went to the shop's counter, unearthing two small boxes from behind a large barrel. With another few steps, he plopped them both down on the table - thin chopsticks sliding out from behind his paws.

"That's so - weird!" Yu emphasized. "I - I didn't realize people even do that."

"Yeah well - we're sorta weird, I guess," Po agreed. "So what's up with you? You're the caterer, right?"

"Yes," Yu simply restated. "I'm officially Alf's _second_ favorite friend."

"His _only_ two friends," Alf mentioned, smiling. "Both of them seemed to have saved me from getting beaten up."

"Oh, so you guys aren't dating?" Po broke in. "Thought you were a couple all this time."

A silence.

Alf nervously tapped his fingers against the table, looking inside the boxes Po brought. Freshly made noodles sat in the middle.

"We're um - not together," Yu forced, avoiding Alf's gaze. "We um - "

"Just friends," Alf reiterated.

Po seemed to realize his mistake. "So - LET'S START _NOODLEFEST!"_

"Yeah, we should," Alf agreed, thankful to move away from that topic. "What's with the scratch marks, bro?"

Po made an intriguing, unreadable face. He realized Alf was pointing at his elbows.

"What, these?" the panda mentioned. "Just from my last training."

" _Training_?" Yu questioned, prodding at the large box of noodles. "You mean - "

"Yeah, I've got to get strong to beat Tai Lung."

Another pause, but it was less awkward and more tense.

A burst of laughter.

"Oh my - ha! Po!" Alf joked, grinning from ear to ear. "So _that's_ who Tai Lung is! Is he some sorta training technique Shifu put you on? Like jumping jacks?"

Po frowned. "Tai Lung is _real,_ bro. And I've gotta get strong if I'm gonna beat him."

Alf kept up his grin. "Whatever you say - _Dragon Warrior_."

Po put down his chopsticks. "Something funny to you?"

Yu shot Alf a highly confused look. The latter returned the same.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" Alf queried. "You get the autographs yet?"

"Yeah, I will," Po elevated. "But only after I train hard enough to beat Tai Lung."

Alf was growing more irritated. "What happened to our plan?"

"What plan was that?"

"You know - when we get the autographs and _run?_ Maybe convince someone to get this collar off?"

Alf gasped mildly after uttering that. He had almost forgotten he was wearing it.

That was a bad sign.

"Plans change," Po noted.

Yu stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "It's fine guys, let's just get back to this _Noodle_ thing."

"What do you mean, _plans change_?" Alf remarked, taken aback. "You're actually going through with this?"

"Oh my - of course I am!" Po spat harshly. "The Scrolls forbid that I actually, yanno - become something _other_ than a noodle chef!"

"Po," Alf attempted, leaning closer. "If this _Tai Lung_ is as dangerous as people are making him out to be, just let the Five and Shifu handle it."

"But _I'm_ the _Dragon Warrior!_ " Po yelled. "What, you're saying what Oogway did was a mistake?"

Yu frowned at hearing the name again. Alf grew more incredulous with every word Po uttered.

"I thought we're both on the same page, man," Alf tried. "I mean - we're not obviously _kung fu_ material or anything…"

Po stood up angrily, throwing his chopsticks down. "Maybe you aren't. But I - "

"I know you!" Alf threw out, growling. "Come on, Po! Don't be serious! You're gonna get yourself hurt!"

"I've been hurting my entire life!" Po forced. "Every day - just cleaning pots and pans, then making noodles, then watching everyone else do amazing things… and now - the Universe gave us a chance to get something real, and you want to throw that away!?"

Po stopped, huffing.

Alf started to understand more. Po's breaths were coming out heavy and shaky, and he seemed deeply upset with things that he wasn't necessarily talking about. Alf had always known that the panda was never keen on being a noodle-maker all this life - but this seemed so out of the ordinary…

Yu gulped. "Guys - let's just all calm down, okay? Come on!"

"I didn't know," Alf let out finally. "I didn't know how you really felt, all these years, okay? I get it. I get how our situation sucks - I - I just don't wanna see you get hurt, that's all?"

"I'll be fine," Po noted, turning away. "I - I have to go train, okay?"

Po got up, ignoring Alf's mumbled pleas and Yu's soft calls to sit back down. The panda took another moment to stare at the young boy, frowning for a second before making his way out of the restaurant. Alf heard his footsteps grow quieter until he was completely out of earshot. Dusk had given way by now, entering full moonlight as it washed over the open space.

"Maybe he's just in a phase or something," Yu interjected. "He's just - "

"I've never fought with Po before," Alf retorted, frowning sadly. "He's my best friend. This is different."

Yu pursed her lips, gently touching Alf's arm on the side.

A moment of silence.

He held her gaze for a while, until something completely subconscious happened and she removed it from him.

"Um - I'm sorry," Yu apologized. "Didn't mean to get all awkward…"

"HEY!" came a small, squeaky voice behind them. "YOU PAYING FOR THOSE NOODLES, BOY?!"

Mr. Ping had just woken up. The goose made his way over to the table, snatching the boxes of noodles off the table with livid rage.

"What do you even need so much food for?" the goose angrily questioned.

Alf sighed, turning his head down. "Noodlefest."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _The plot gets thicker and thicker! I've planned out a bunch more story material, and ofc - I'm always excited to write new chapters! We've finally reached that iconic "half-way" point in KFP - but now, the plot is somewhat different! I urge you guys to stay tuned... things only pick up from now...  
_

 _I don't even need to say how amazing support has been. You guys rock. 'Nuff said._

 _~TW_


	11. KFP 1:11

" **Separation"**

* * *

"Focus. Focus."

"Argh… I'm trying…."

Master Shifu - completely unbeknownst to Po - had started the second phase of training already. After a week or so of Po performing repetitive chores, cleaning the Palace, and repeatedly walking up nearby mountains and into the Pool of Sacred Tears, Shifu had finally graduated Po to the next level - trying to do push-ups on hot coals. The air this high up - among scaly mountains and thin wind - made the task even harder.

"ERGH!" Po yelled, letting his belly sag a bit too much and make contact with the coals.

"Focus, panda," Shifu muttered, pushing the panda down with his staff. "Think about the noodles."

This was true. As if by some sick cosmic joke, Shifu had strategically placed a bowl of noodles on the rocky ground, hot steam drifting upwards and reaching Po's nostrils. There was no way to reach the noodles, other than by push-up.

"The coals - ergh - for the pain, noodles for the reward," Po let out, breathing heavily with each push-up. "You're not so - mystical, are you Master?"

"The noodles aren't a reward," Shifu noted, emphasizing. "Do you wonder why your arms are getting more and more tired?"

Po coughed. His arms had been shaking more for the last few push-ups. In fact, with every lick of the noodles - his arms almost felt more fatigued.

"The noodles are seasoned with _Xin-Sheng_ ," Shifu mentioned. "The slow-acting paralytic."

Po's arms began to wobble even more, balance becoming slowly thrown off.

"You've spent your life thinking food makes you better," Shifu noted. "Now, you will learn how food makes you worse. And how being hungry - that makes you better."

"I never thought food makes me better!" Po urged, feeling his belly sag again.

"You think filling your stomach, will fill in what's empty in _here_ ," Shifu emphasized, prodding the center of Po's chest. "This will teach you the opposite."

"What does that mean?!" Po let out with a wail.

"Down, panda."

 **. . .**

Mr. Ping was a particularly careful and sharp goose. From the beginning his shop would open, until the last customer walked out of the small space - he would keep track of all of the utensils handed out, plates being washed, and noodle quantity being eaten. None of these he seemed to write down, rather - a perfect memory and intense focus on details allowed Po's father to completely establish a quiet dominance to the humble shop. Food shelves were organized meticulously, by age and likely quality - ingredients were carefully deposited in their labeled cabinets, and he had even been known to go up into his son's bedroom, completely reorganizing as he saw fit. Mr. Ping was - by any metric or stretch of the imagination - the most sharp, discerning, and unabashedly detail-oriented citizen the Valley had ever known.

Second to Alf, of course. The boy gently strode up the narrow staircase hidden behind the counter, making his way to Po's now empty room.

It wasn't so much that Alf was more detail-oriented or sharp - but a lifetime of dodging physical abuse from the villagers, being able to run quickly away from some drunken guards, and overall elude and stay out of the public eye were valuable skills that Mr. Ping could never hope to match. Thus, the Seeker found no issue with quietly sneaking up the stairs without alerting the perpetually-sleeping goose.

"Nice room he's got."

Alf nearly choked, not expecting Yu's voice to appear. He made his way into the empty room, seeing a silver-grey fox sit kindly on Po's former cot.

"What - " Alf began, at a loss for words. " - How did you? Never mind. Move."

Yu hopped off the depressed cot, watching Alf unsheathe a large paper bag before scanning the room. Strewn utensils and knick-knacks were everywhere, some of them clay machinations of the Furious Five - others seemed to be poorly-designed throwing stars. This, combined with the dull brown color of the walls and floor, wordlessly described all those feelings Po had ranted about the other night.

Mediocrity.

Despair.

Being stuck in "place".

"Whatcha doing?" Yu casually asked.

"Packing my stuff," Alf returned, grabbing some leftover food from Po's open cabinets. "And leaving."

Yu frowned, confused. "What? You're leaving the Valley?"

Alf nodded his head, still engrossed in finding his valuables and packing more food. "Yup. Should have done it a long time ago, to be honest - but now, with Tai Lung coming and this collar on - "

He grumbled silently, fingers brushing past the metallic collar again. It had been a week since his last shock, but he was growing upset with how subconsciously it was normalizing itself onto his body.

" - point is, I've got to get out while I'm still alive." Alf finished.

"That's your solution?" Yu angrily retorted. "Run away? Do you not even trust the Five, or Shifu?"

Alf stopped packing for a moment, standing up. "If Tai Lung is as powerful as people and legends say he is - the Five, Shifu, anyone in China won't be able to do a damn thing to him."

Yu frowned more intensely now.

"And I was going to ask Po one final time, to come with me," Alf noted. "And - I was going to ask you."

Yu shot him a perplexed look, light smile just beginning to form. "Me? You don't know anything about me!"

"Yep."

"You don't know about my history!"

"Yep."

"We've known each other for like - a month, probably!"

"Yep."

Yu now broke out in a broad grin, but it seemed to pity Alf. "You get attached way too easy, yanno? All because that _one_ time I asked you that night about - "

"You're different from everyone here," Alf noted silently, staring straight into her bronze eyes. "Rational. Non-judgemental. Crazy."

Yu smiled softly.

"You and Po, are pretty much the only people in this stupid Valley I would bother asking," Alf emphasized. "But be my guest and stay back. See what happens."

Alf laughed, as Yu shook her head with a smile.

"Let's say me and Po go with you - " Yu began, waving down Alf's protests. " - I'm not saying he's _definitely_ going with you but let's say we both agree to… can you promise to actually start investigating your past?"

"Why is that such a big deal with you?" Alf recalled, bending down to shove more food into his bag. "I thought we agreed. No questions about each other's pasts."

"There's a _difference_ Alf," Yu forced, kneeling down to his level. "I don't wanna talk about it because it's just - _stupid_. And I don't want any sympathy."

Alf snorted. "Trust me, I'm not the guy to pity people."

"But you - " Yu continued. "- you're a freaking _Seeker_. You've never even thought about figuring out why you're here, who the Seekers were?"

"Like I said," Alf stated with a sigh. "It doesn't matter now. Knowing a bunch of useless history won't help people stop throwing pots and hot water at my face, or get this - "

He stopped, frustrated to always be aware of the collar.

"Promise me," Yu emphasized, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Promise me if I go with you - you at least _consider_ digging into your past."

Alf smiled sarcastically. "Okay. I _promise_ to do that. Despite knowing I'm just wasting my time…"

Yu smiled, helping him stuff more bowls of food into his bag. "Good."

 **. . .**

"Focus, panda. Focus…"

"YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THE SAME FREAKIN' THING EVERY FREAKIN' TIME! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? _NOT FOCUS_!?"

Po was tired. Shifu had just given him a bowl of freshly-made, hot dumplings - and ordered him to eat. At first, Po fired off a million questions:

Was there any _Xin-Sheng?_

Why were the dumplings hot?

Why had Shifu dragged him all the way up the mountain again, carrying a bag of heavy rocks?

Why had they always been coming back to the Pool of Sacred Tears?

Why was Shifu allowing him to eat?

What was the point of all this?

The last two questions were answered quickly. As soon as the panda extended a paw to touch the dumplings, Shifu brought out a stick and smacked him hard on the head, bottom, belly - basically any part of Po that he could reach.

And there was a lot of Po.

"OWW!" Po gasped, feeling the bamboo stick come searing down on his right forearm. "WILL YOU JUST LET ME EAT?!"

"I'm letting you," Shifu replied simply. "The question is - are you _letting yourself_?"

Po wanted to ram his head into the nearest Ironwood tree.

"OWW!"

"ERGH"

"AAH!"

"I - " Shifu breathed out, smacking Po consecutively in between each word. " - am - letting - you - eat. Question is - are - you - not - eating - because - of - me - or - because - "

"OF MYSELF, I GET IT! OWW!" Po yelled, forearms too sore to continue. The panda sat down.

"What was _that_ supposed to teach me?" Po stated. "How many red marks you can leave on my - belly?"

"Po," Shifu emphasized, the panda shocked at hearing the name finally come out. "You won't learn to fight, unless you master what's in you. That's _kung fu_. Not war. Control."

A flash of comprehension. Something. Po was picking up on something, he just wasn't sure what - but he was confident it existed. Understanding.

The feeling was something. He stood up, reluctant but curious look stretched across his face.

"I guess - again, Master." the panda asked.

Shifu smiled, readying the stick.

 **. . .**

"How much longer to the Valley, Master Tigress?" Tai Lung smoothly questioned, feeling a tinge of discomfort just beginning to arise from the heavy outfit.

"Not long, perhaps a few weeks or so," Tigress responded, legs exhausted from having sprinted for so long. "We should probably pick up the pace. Tai Lung will not have stopped."

"No he wouldn't have," Tai Lung responded with a mild grin.

 _Do not give yourself away, boy._

The sun was beating down and they had made good distance between the last bridge and were well on their way to the Valley. Aside from a few provisions in the middle of the path, the five Masters and the snow leopard had spent most of their time sprinting - exhausting for all individuals involved, and pointless considering that it would have done them better to simply jog most of the way.

Tai Lung was happy. He was satisfied that his name and presence alone were enough to terrify even these five Masters, scare them sufficiently where Crane was flapping as hard as his wings could carry, Tigress was running nonstop on all fours, Mantis had hitchhiked on Monkey, and Viper made perfect zigzags through the hard, dusty ground as they cut through forests, riverbeds, and a plethora of bamboo trees.

Now however, was a brief lull - a time of general rest where Tai Lung could lean back and analyze his soon-to-be opponents.

None of them were as skilled as him. Almost all paled in comparison to his strength. The sole exception was Tigress - the only Master that reminded Tai Lung greatly of himself, albeit younger and inexperienced. He was absolutely sure _none_ of them knew the nerve attack.

"You haven't told us your name, guard," Viper noted, slithering next to Tai Lung.

"Bao Shen," Tai Lung delivered without hesitation, the spirit having already predicted this several hours ago. "I served under Vachir for years before - that _monster_ broke out…"

Tai Lung smiled again.

"He is not a monster," Tigress broke in, frown stretched across her features. "He is a _coward_. A fool who couldn't handle it when destiny did not smile on him…"

Tai Lung growled softly under his breath.

 _Control yourself boy, or else I will do it for you._

"You can't make me do a damned thing," the snow leopard whispered harshly.

"Sorry, what was that?" Monkey interrupted, yellow paws propelling him forward in front of Tai Lung. "Couldn't catch that."

"You all - erm - can't stop me from defending my _home_ ," Tai Lung rerouted instantly. "I will fight alongside you!"

"No need, friend," Tigress forced. "We will lead you back to the Valley - just rest once you are there. Shifu, myself, and my team will handle Tai Lung."

The snow leopard growled at the first name, flurry of memories coming back.

 _Inquire about the Dragon Warrior._

 _A warrior who fell out of the sky, in flames._

 _The warrior no one has ever seen._

"While I was in Chorh-Gom, we were told about the Dragon Warrior," Tai Lung began. "I heard how he fell out of the sky in a ball of fire. That he's - a warrior, unlike anything the world has ever seen."

"Po?" Monkey started with a grin.

 _So that is his name - Po._

 _Finally - a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary._

 _Yet one-sided._

 _I might spare him from my plan._

" _I_ will kill the Dragon Warrior," Tai Lung forced again, voice raising just a bit too much. "Do not irritate me, spirit…"

"Dude, you sure Tai Lung didn't knock you on your head or something?" Mantis interjected, leaping onto the ground again to resume a slow pace. "You're whispering to yourself a lot."

"I am perfectly well, thank you Master Mantis," Tai Lung replied. "Perhaps the air just - "

A shining flash. Tai Lung's eyes were somehow forced to the front, focused on Tigress' pocket.

A glitter of metal.

 _Ask her what that is._

"You don't control me," Tai Lung replied harshly.

 _ASK._

 _HER._

A high-pitched ringing.

Tai Lung's head felt like it was on fire.

"You - " the snow leopard attempted, twitching from the intense pain. " - do not - control - "

 _I WILL SPLIT YOUR HEAD IN TWO, BOY._

 _ASK. HER. WHAT. THAT._

 _IS._

"Augh - what - what is that, in your pocket…" Tai Lung breathed, pain too intense to ignore. "... Master - Tigress….?"

Tigress casually pulled out a metal plate, attached to a red button.

"A burden," she noted simply. "To take care of a _pest_ problem. It activates a shock collar, designed to keep an annoying fleshling in check."

 _So THAT is how the homing beacon was set off._

 _Ask her more, boy._

"The Valley - has a _Seeker_?" Tai Lung queried, genuinely confused for the first time in twenty years.

"He doesn't look it," Tigress assuaged. "But yes - we do have one at the Valley. The _only_ one, as far as I know."

 _Impossible. Ask her to tell you the truth._

"That _is_ the truth," Tai Lung spat back quietly. "What do you mean by _homing beacon_?"

"Dude, I really think you have a problem," Mantis mentioned again. "You've been whispering to yourself for ever since you joined us. You sure you don't want to rest?"

 _Boy - ask more about the Seeker. About the beacon._

 _Now._

The high-pitched ringing intensified to levels Tai Lung hadn't even fathomed was possible.

"I - " Tai Lung tried, pain too powerful to properly make out words. "I - ergh - "

"Perhaps help our friend," Tigress noted, motioning for Monkey and Crane to take each of Tai Lung's arms around themselves, and drag the snow leopard forward. "He might be fatigued."

Crane and Monkey did as told, dragging the twitching Tai Lung forward. Tigress watched the three stride slightly ahead, waiting until they were out of earshot.

"What exactly _is_ this guard?" Tigress asked, addressing Viper. "A monkey? A rhino? A gorilla?"

"Chorh-Gom guards are supposed to be all rhinos," Viper replied confidently. "I can't tell that though - the armor sort of covers all of our friend's body."

"He doesn't sound like a rhino," Tigress deduced. "Not the same size either."

Viper stopped, looking up at the master with curiosity. "What are you saying?"

Tigress simply narrowed her eyes. "I don't see a horn."

 **. . .**

"Again."

"ERGH!"

"Again."

"OWW!"

"Again."

"EEK!"

"AGAIN!"

"YOWZA!"

Po had progressed past the stage of being tired and was now simply at a loss for words. In the bright moonlight, just scattering beautifully across the Pool of Sacred Tears, Shifu's stick seemed to fly by in a whizz of yellow, blurry motion. In fact, Shifu's relentlessness with the bamboo stick had only intensified, and Po had completely given up on the bowl of dumplings held uselessly in his sore paws.

He might as well have been holding a bowl of spikes.

"Panda."

"What?" Po let out, sighing.

"Look."

Po looked down, seeing the cold dumplings in his paws. "Yep - haven't touched them still. Yay."

"You _haven't touched them_ ," Shifu noted with a small grin.

"Yeah, because you keep hitting me."

"I haven't hit you for the last two minutes."

Po tilted one eyebrow down. "What? Of course you have - you've been - "

Po sorted through his recent memories. He couldn't find a single clear image of Shifu hitting him, all within the last two minutes.

He wasn't even aware that Shifu was sitting down, nearly fifty feet from him.

He hadn't been hitting him for a while.

More than two minutes.

"What - what the - " Po began, confused yet again.

"Seems like you've mastered control," Shifu breathed. "Now is the time for _Kung Fu_."

Po's heart fluttered. He dropped the bowl of dumplings instantly, not even watching them roll downhill. Shifu's smile only grew wider at this.

"Left foot forward. Right arm forward. Twist the body." Shifu commanded.

Po did as he was told.

He understood what was happening now.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yowza! More Kung Fu action! And even more questions…_

 _In other news, I finally finished the giant story planning doc I have. Needless to say, I finally know a general beginning, middle, and end. To this entire FIC. (not just KFP 1-3) And I mean that very **specifically**. Finally._

 _Oops, did I reveal too much? Look back at the previous line for minor hints. (Hehe…)_

 _And it is a LOOOOOOOOONG WAY OFF. (Like - it'll take me multiple years to finish the story I want to tell)  
_

 _Part of the love I have for slow-builds is that you can build up to things so gradually over time, and end up hooking everyone in. Kudos to all the readers who keep coming back for more! I try to make every new chapter have a few things exciting/intriguing enough to keep y'all coming back for more. You might even notice by the sequence of titles - this is called Separation, the next will be Transformation, the one after Desperation… that the end for KFP 1 is coming near…_

 _But never fear, just stick with this and persevere… (corny I know)_

 _The level of support is so insane that I think this fic will end up being my best story. It's already close to surpassing my other "big fic" - and that had 50 chapters! This little author is humbled into silence..._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: I've gotten some more recent Q's from ppl wondering when Alf will start you know - acting like a main protagonist, maybe? (:D)_

 _All I'll say is that there's no way you can inject a human character into KFP, and expect him NOT to be the hero (at least in this fic). Patience, my friends. :D_

 _P.P.S: DID ANYONE CATCH PAWS OF DESTINY TV SPOT OMG FINALLY MORE KFP SHOWS PLZ DONT SCREW IT UP DREAMWORKS PLZ HAVE FURIOUS FIVE/SHIFU APPEARANCES EVEN THO I KNOW ITS HARD BUT PRETTY PLEASE!_


	12. KFP 1:12

" **Realization"**

* * *

 _Hold your head still, boy._

Tai Lung growled, already tired from the long stretches of sprinting and slushing his way through thick mud. He stopped and chose to stand still in the moonlight, observing his surroundings more clearly.

There was nothing around but black, misty night air - the Valley was still nowhere to be seen, and although they were only perhaps a few days from reaching the Palace, the complete lack of navigation the group had right now made it very difficult to understand where they were going. No sounds followed the six individuals except soft footsteps on grass beds, and the faint smell of rain just beginning to drizzle down.

 _They are preparing to fight you._

"Wait, what?!" Tai Lung whispered, outraged as he watched the Five masters pause just a few feet in front of him - backs still turned to him. "After all this time? _Now_ they figure it out?"

 _The one called Tigress deduced it long ago._

 _They have been leading you in a loop - away from the Palace. To a secluded place._

"Why didn't you tell me before, spirit?" Tai Lung spat, keeping both eyes trained on the Five's backs.

 _I had more pressing matters to end to._

Tai Lung snorted. Tigress was the first to turn around, joined a few seconds later by the rest of the Five. She instantly began getting herself into a ready stance - both paws clenched into firm fists.

"So, _Bao Shen_ ," she smoothly questioned. "Why don't we all drop the pretense?"

Tai Lung growled in pleasure, ripping off the outfit that had been keeping him dormant for so long. The clothes flew gently down to the ground, as the snow leopard flexed his thick chest and breathed in heavy air.

"Took you long enough," Tai Lung retorted, smiling sadistically. "Don't worry. I won't let you all live long enough to see what I do to Shifu and the Valley."

 _Use the nerve attack immediately, boy._

 _Do not waste time. Or allow the bird to fly them back before you arrive._

Tigress roared, leaping forward hard enough to split the grassfield she had been standing on.

A straight punch, extended perfectly from the front. Tai Lung effortlessly twisted around, grabbing her waistband to throw her a distance away.

"Even with your little _looping_ trick, it'll only take me a few days to reach the Valley!" Tai Lung screamed triumphantly. "You were fools to face me…"

Tigress growled, a sense of regret filling her. What he had said was true - they had only recently begun to turn back the damage they had done, the time they had wasted personally escorting him to the Valley - and like Tai Lung had stated, he was very, _very_ close to the Palace - even after the loop.

"Swear loyalty to me," Tai Lung offered, smiling as the other four masters readied themselves around him. "And I _just_ may spare your _worthless_ lives."

"NOW!" Tigress yelled.

The Five converged on the snow leopard, visibility enhanced by the lack of trees and vegetation.

Crane dove underneath the legs. Monkey sprinted behind, barreling forward. Viper twisted herself onto Tai Lung's head. Mantis sprinted through the camouflaged grassland, making his way to Tai Lung's feet. Tigress readied herself for another straight punch.

Tai Lung grinned, taking a moment to appreciate how far ahead his skills were.

He hopped gently over Crane's dive, stepping savagely to crush a talon. Simultaneously, he rotated sideways, oscillating his leg perfectly to whip Monkey into the sky. Viper's shocked response had doomed her - Tai Lung grabbed her by the tail, smashing her against the ground with groundbreaking force.

He shoved two thick fingers at Mantis and Viper's weary forms.

"EEK!"

"NO - ARGH!"

Tips of blue light emitted in circles, the second Tai Lung's fingers made contact with their bodies. Their bodies did not move afterwards.

Tai Lung leaped up, watching the force of his kick still leave Monkey in the air.

He smiled.

Tai Lung smashed his paw onto Monkey's chest - massive wave of blue light spreading like wildfire from the contact.

Monkey came crashing down to the ground. The snow leopard landed softly in front of him.

Tai Lung bared his claws, grinning at Crane groaning on the ground, clutching the broken talon. Tai Lung whipped around, not seeing the last member of the Five.

Tigress appeared suddenly, body lunging with her leg extended forward.

"AUGH!"

The foot made solid contact with Tai Lung's chest, sending him spiraling several feet backward. He rolled back, clutching his chest with mocking appreciation.

"I'm impressed," Tai Lung delivered harshly, claws extended. "In another world - you and I may have been brother and sister."

Tigress' eyes flashed dangerously orange.

She launched forward again, multiple limbs in perfect, coordinated movement.

A straight punch.

A twisting uppercut kick.

A shoulder ram.

A tail whip.

A headbutt.

Yet none of them made contact with Tai Lung.

The sound of Tigress cutting through air whizzed by the snow leopard's ears. She varied her attacks more, going more intensely than ever.

"Yet - " Tai Lung noted, speaking in between dodges. "You - should - always - show - _respect_ \- to - your - _older_ \- _brother_."

Tai Lung grabbed Tigress' leg mid-sidekick, twisting it inordinately forwards to fracture the knee.

"AGH!" Tigress yelled.

Tai Lung's nostrils flared, detecting a bird scent just begin to approach him from behind. He dragged Tigress by the broken knee, ignoring her roars of pain - then threw her directly behind him.

A solid, satisfying _thump_.

Tigress crashed into Crane mid-flight, halting his attack.

Both bodies fell to the ground loosely. Tai Lung smiled.

A _whizzing_ noise. He turned to his left.

A green, nearly invisible speck of light came rushing through the cold air. Tai Lung jettisoned two fingers out, making contact with the center of Mantis' tiny frame.

The insect fell rigidly to the ground.

"THIS IS THE BEST THE VALLEY HAS TO OFFER?!" Tai Lung roared, staring at the sky. "THIS IS THE SO-CALLED, _FURIOUS FIVE_!?"

Tai Lung stepped forward, roughly kicking Crane's body several feet away. He leaned down, watching Tigress attempt to right herself.

"Tell me where the Dragon Scroll is," Tai Lung growled.

Tigress clenched her teeth, spitting out a loose bit of blood into Tai Lung's face.

He wiped it off, malicious smile back in full force.

 _DO NOT WASTE TIME, BOY._

 _GET THE HOMING BEACON._

 _DO._

 _AS._

 _I._

 _SAY._

The high-pitched whizzing came back, ripping through Tai Lung's head. He screamed, savagely punching down onto Tigress' face.

"I!" the snow leopard yelled, punching between each breath. "AM! TAI! LUNG! I! DO! WHAT! I! WANT!"

The final punch came down hard enough to push Tigress into the ground.

Tai Lung breathed heavily, high-pitched noise gone. Tigress twitched on the floor, orange fur lining her face now covered in mild purple and black splotches.

 _YOU._

 _ARE._

 _MY._

 _SLAVE._

It didn't come as a high-pitched ringing anymore.

It felt like Tai Lung had just walked into a bell.

"AUGH! AHHHHH!"

He yelled, tumbling onto his feet and shaking his head in fury - noise only intensifying with every vocal protest. Tai Lung knelt down, grasping the sides of his head to make the pain stop.

But it never did.

Tigress watched a few feet away, coughing out more blood. She turned to Crane, still lying limply to her side.

"C - Crane," she let out weakly. "F - Fly us - back…"

This seemed to reignite the avian master's courage. Crane forced himself to his feet, grasping at Tigress with his unbroken talon. He used a wing to shove Mantis and Monkey into Tigress' arms. Tigress kicked Mantis into the air, who landed perfectly on Crane's back. The bird proceeded to clutch Viper gently in his beak, tears mildly forming.

She wasn't moving. None of them were.

 _THEY'RE GETTING AWAY, YOU FOOL._

 _STOP._

 _THEM._

"I STOP THEM WHEN I WANT TO STOP THEM!" Tai Lung howled.

Tigress couldn't care what was happening. With a wordless signal to Crane, the bird flew forward - grasping the other four Masters firmly. They watched Tai Lung gradually disappear from sight, continuing to bash his head against the ground and scream at a force that no one had fully understood yet.

 **. . .**

After packing weeks' worth of food (mostly sealed noodle bowls and tofu buns), fashioning himself cheap but sturdy garments made from Po's discarded burlap apparel, selectively mapping a route out of the Valley and well beyond the Wu Dan mountains - Alf was confident that his exit route would be mostly foolproof.

He had already routed away from the Thread of Hope, the bridge that he was almost certain Tai Lung would use to cross into the Valley - and elected a winding, seldom-mapped part of the Valley that lead to deliberately inhospitable, mountainous terrain. All the maps Alf could find (or peek at) ended at the Wu Dan mountains - so he had little idea of what lay beyond there. However, he also knew that his only requirement was to find safe places to rest in before stumbling upon a different province. Two factors inspired Alf to venture forward: his own newfound courage, and of course - Yu's promise of company. Somehow, it felt more bearable to know that no matter where he ended up in, no matter how many new villagers would likely try to kill or maim him on eye contact - there was someone else to work with him.

A team.

Now only Po remained.

A small part of Alf felt a twinge of regret. He had known nothing outside of the Valley since birth, and despite all of its bigoted residents - he had grudgingly called it part of his home. No longer.

However, a much larger part of Alf - one that tied itself to the newfound courage - felt an incredible sense of excitement. Opportunity.

Fresh starts. New beginnings.

And that insane optimism, coupled with the sweltering heat of midday sun - made Alf considerably less rational than normal.

"This is so stupid…"

"Shut up Yu," Alf insisted. "Help me up."

Yu sighed. She had no idea why Alf was suddenly becoming more stupid, electing to spend a hot afternoon hoisting himself onto the same boulder they had stopped by so often outside the Valley - trying to wedge the tip of the rock between his neck and the collar.

"Okay, I'm going to slowly let myself slide down," Alf began, keeping a firm grip on the rock jutting out, legs dangling at least ten feet from the grassland. "You get on top - and hit the edge of the collar as hard as you can, with this rock - okay?"

Yu gave Alf a quizzical look. In theory, the experiment could work - the spike-shaped boulder was positioned at a moderate angle where Alf could cling to the underside and gently wedge the tip of the boulder between his neck and the collar - and if Yu hit hard enough at the top, the collar should break in two pieces.

But the collar was made of metal - and of all the metals it could be fashioned out of - it was Seeker metal.

Yu had never seen anything made by the Seekers break. She wondered whether it was even possible.

Another big problem - if the metal took too long to break, Alf's back could snap in two as he would essentially be hanging himself with his own collar. Yu made a joke about this that was promptly ignored by Alf.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Yu asked again, leaping atop the boulder, watching Alf's head poke out from underneath - arms fastened around the tip of the large rock.

"I've gotta try," Alf emphasized. "One last time."

Yu readied herself. Alf let go of his grip.

Choking motions. Alf wheezed desperately, body loosely hanging itself from the tip of the rock.

Yu immediately brought a sharp, spiked piece of stone - bringing it down hard on the edges of the metal collar.

"H - Hard - Harder…" Alf breathed, back of his neck nearly crushing itself. "Ju - Just - a little - "

Yu used both hands now, bringing them down as hard as possible onto the metallic collar.

Not even a single scratch appeared.

"Y - Yu…"

Alf's eyes were closing slowly. His body was sagging uncomfortably outward. His arms weren't pulling at the collar at the other end - it began drifting at his sides.

"Screw this," Yu forced, kicking the collar away from her.

Alf slide off the tip of the rock, collapsing onto the soft grassland below him. Yu jumped down instantly, making her way to his side with a soft sigh.

She prodded at his face gently. "Alf. Alf. Come on…"

Alf's eyes methodically opened up. "Did - Is it off?"

Yu frowned sadly. Alf's fingers traced his neck - failing to find skin, hitting hard metal instead.

A soft whimper. Alf closed his eyes, lip quivering.

"Man - just - screw this whole Valley…"

Yu pulled Alf to his feet, placing two hands on his shoulders reassuringly. "We'll find a way. Maybe not now. But we will."

Alf spent another few seconds in silent wails, gathering himself and wiping away from fresh moisture from his eyes.

"Yeah I know," Alf nodded, slight doubt giving itself away. "Worth a try I guess…"

Yu tried to change the subject, sitting next to him and under the shade of the large boulder.

"So what's the plan?" she inquired gently, punching him in the right arm. "You said Wu Dan mountains, right?"

"Yeah, the Southern Path away from the Valley - straight into Wu Dan," Alf reiterated, letting his head rest against the side of the boulder. "It'll be only a few hours till we get lost in those mountains."

"You know how to survive in there?" Yu asked with a smirk.

"I've survived the Valley," Alf noted. "Those mountains'll probably be like a bowl of dumplings. Anyway, staying there isn't the point - we keep moving."

"How long?"

"I'm guessing at least six weeks. Hard to tell with all the crappy maps… but after that, we should be close to a new province."

Yu laughed, shaking her head. "Is that your best guess?"

Alf nodded slowly. "Yep. Beats staying here and getting killed by Tai Lung."

"I suppose…"

"You know," Alf noted, winking back at her. "You're always free to stay back…"

"And miss watching you getting mauled by bandits or bloodthirsty insects?" Yu let out with a chuckle. "No way!"

Alf smiled. He enjoyed how casual this felt, how honest he could be with her, how real the conversations went - it's almost as if someone reimagined his soul into a fox's body.

"And you're gonna definitely start learning about your past?" Yu tried again, winking.

"Yes yes yes, by the Scrolls!" Alf noted, tired of answering the same question.

"Whaddya think happened?"

"Probably there were a bunch of weakling monkeys who made weakling babies who got tortured for years into becoming the _Seekers_. And then a magical rhino poop swallowed them all and made them all suddenly vanish."

Yu giggled, having expected a non-serious response. "What about Po?"

Alf had predicted this question as well. "I'm gonna ask him later tonight."

Yu noted Alf's unreadable expression. She offered a sympathetic smile. "He'll say yes, Alf. Eventually he's gonna snap out of this whole _Dragon Warrior_ thing."

"It's not being the _Dragon Warrior_ that's the problem," Alf corrected. "It's the _time_. I - I can understand what Po's going through - has _been_ going through - for his entire life."

He paused, trying to adjust his thoughts accordingly. "But - even if Shifu trains him, I mean come on - Tai Lung's a legend. Who's been trained his entire _life_."

"Po's barely had a month or two," Yu concluded. "Yeah - I get it."

"Even Tigress started training when she was a kid," Alf emphasized. "And even _she's_ got twenty years _less_ experience than Tai Lung does. Once he finishes Shifu and Tigress - the rest of the Palace won't have a chance. Po included."

"Maybe you should shove your collar onto him," Yu noted, guffaws coming out slowly. "Maybe that could stop the mighty Tai Lung!"

Alf cackled in hilarity. "Oh! How the mighty Tai Lung was - _shocked_ to defeat! Oh the Valley would have a _field_ day…"

"But yeah, I get it Alf," Yu returned, shaking her head again. "We need to somehow make Po see the reality of the situation."

Alf turned his head down, memories overflooding him. "He's - he's my best friend. Like - my brother. If there's one person in this whole Valley that I couldn't leave, knowing that he's gonna die - "

"It would be me," Yu cut across, smiling. "Right?"

"You're not a _he,_ moron," Alf suggested sarcastically. "Why don't you try paying attention?"

Yu giggled, grasping a handful of dark grass and throwing it at Alf's face.

"Maybe I am a _he_! Maybe you're a _she_!"

"I know I'm not a girl, Yu…"

"How do Seeker genders even work? Do you guys have the same thing between your - "

"YU!"

"HAHAHA! CLEARLY NOT!"

 **. . .**

It surprised Po how much kung fu he had learned without throwing a single punch.

Weeks of climbing the mountain - leading to the Pool of Sacred Tears - had given him an incredible amount of leg strength, and endurance. Hours upon hours learning to look at hot noodles (yet not eat any) while doing push ups on hot coals, taught him focus and the ability to resist pain. Doing spiritual movements with Shifu, balancing bowls of hot noodles on multiple limbs, defending his food from sudden staff attacks (again, from Shifu) - Po had learned kung fu before learning kung fu.

Throwing a punch. Kicking. Jumping.

Even the split.

It all came naturally now.

It felt - almost intuitive.

Instinctual.

As if he had been ready for this - his entire life.

So it came as a great surprise to him, when Shifu sat him down in the afternoon - still on the mountaintop, albeit a grassy, more moderately flattened out area - and put a bowl of hot dumplings in front of him.

"After you, panda," Shifu noted, taking a seat on the ground.

"Just like that?" Po queried, eyes wide open. "No - "

"Nope, nope, and no," Shifu correctly predicted. "You are free to ea - "

"Po?"

Shifu's gaze whipped around, seeing Alf approach along with Yu. The two of them made their way cautiously towards Po. Two large bags were strapped alongside their backs.

Shifu's eyes hardened, voice reducing to a cruel whisper. " _Fleshling_ … you are interrupting the Dragon Warrior's training…"

"AHA!" Po exclaimed, standing up triumphantly. "I KNEW THERE WAS A CATCH!"

Po steadied himself immediately however, noting the tension of the situation. He wordlessly motioned to Shifu, begging for some time to speak to Alf and Yu.

" _One_ minute," Shifu forced, standing up to pick up the staff and pace away.

"Thank you, Master," Po returned, eyeing the two bags Alf and Yu had with amusement. "What's up guys? What's the _dealio_ with the _baggios?"_

" _Baggios?_ " Yu remarked, astonished.

"We're leaving the Valley," Alf whispered, straightforward but gentle at the same time.

Po's immediate response was to break out into a laugh. "HAH! Good one bro - I get it."

Alf and Yu remained resolute. Po stopped smiling immediately.

"Dude - are you seriously - like - " Po began, eyebrows tense. " - leaving me?"

Alf sighed, knowing Po would take it this way. "Not you man - I mean come on - you're like a brother to me."

Po's smile came back, but it was off-color and a bit morose. "Brothers don't leave brothers."

"That's why we want you to come with us!" Yu squealed, beating Alf to the punch. "Just - "

"Guys," Po remarked, letting out an equal sigh. "I told you - I'm not ditching. This is - "

"PANDA! LOOK!"

At first, Po thought it was Shifu's voice telling him to stop talking, and that his time was up - but he turned his attention to the clear blue sky, where a far more unsettling appearance came.

A bird was flapping. Descending rapidly under all the weight it was carrying.

Crane. Holding the rest of the Five.

They crashed down to the grassland, letting loose an earthy spurt of dust.

Po immediately sprinted alongside Shifu to the area Crane had crashed onto. Curiosity drove Alf forward, following Po. Only Yu seemed to correctly deduce what had happened, taking slow but sure steps towards the rest of the group.

Alf gasped. Except for Crane and Tigress, none of the Five were moving. Tigress' face seemed wounded into submission. Her leg was twisted in an impossible manner.

Mantis lay still. Viper was motionless. Monkey looked frozen.

Po felt a peculiar feeling coming up - one that Alf had been warning him about, and the same feeling Shifu had taught him to ignore.

Regret.

Fear.

Hopelessness.

And - as much as Po resisted the idea - Alf was right.

The feelings were real. Stronger than his other emotions.

 _Reality_ , Po wondered, heart skipping beats left and right.

Still shaking on the ground, Tigress turned her bruised face upwards. Her next words came out in careful, weak wheezes - and everyone present meditated on every single letter, helped by the gravity of the statement.

"We failed. Tai Lung will be here in a few hours."

Tigress faded into unconsciousness.

And then it finally hit Po - that overwhelming feeling that he had shoved aside for so many weeks, the feeling Alf had probably been trying to shed light on…

He wasn't ready.

He didn't have time to get ready.

None of them did.

Po looked at Alf. The boy clutched at his bag tighter - eyes begging the panda to do what they now _both_ knew to be the _only_ feasible, rational thing left.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _I'd say easily the most depressing chapter so far - and I usually write dark stories (not this one, ofc :)), so believe me - this feels sad to me too!_

 _But then again, this happened in KFP as well - but obviously, there are a lot of new twists and plot points that may impact later on - HEHE._

 _Sorry - it's just giddy to tease audiences while knowing the answers. Trust me - I've felt the same reading some of your guys' fics. (Yes, I actually do that!)_

 _Blah blah amazing support blah blah I'm humbled blah blah… :D_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Glad to see everyone loving me moving away from KFP plot/dialogue. I think partly the reason why I stuck to the script for so long (esp. In earlier chapters) was to help establish Alf's character (sort of show how in Po's world, he really is sort of seen like a side piece - despite the fact that he isn't!). I've planned out Alf's arc to be long and fulfilling, so stick around!_

 _P.P.S: Check out KingUnderTheHill's stuff! He's got a killer Ke-Pa story that does something I've never seen before - make KFP: LoA look halfway decent?_


	13. KFP 1:13

" **Desperation"**

* * *

Tai Lung grinned harshly, standing in place to admire the beautiful, lush forest around him. For the first time in many years - he truly understood what it meant to be free. This was far away from the cold, windswept mountains of Mongolia - or the chilly breeze barreling across the Thread of Hope - it felt simple now, just dusty ground occasionally featuring a lone tree or spiky green bush. The sky was blue and perfectly opaque, and finally - the vague, hazy vision of buildings and stone structures came into view a far distance from him.

The Valley of Peace.

It was still an hour away, considering the winding path he was on - but it felt concrete now.

 _Home_ , the snow leopard recalled. It helped being able to see it in-person, assure himself that the past twenty years were nothing more than a hiccup to his eventual destiny.

The same destiny Shifu had ripped from him.

 _You are a fool._

"ENOUGH!" Tai Lung roared, picking a large rock resting on dusty ground, and chucking it straight into the sky. "COME DOWN HERE! FACE ME!"

 _I am not in the sky, boy._

 _I am not with you._

 _I am not in you._

"THEN HOW ARE YOU SPEAKING TO ME?" Tai Lung screamed again, still staring at the empty blue sky as if it would produce something.

 _In time._

 _For now - reflect on your mistakes._

 _Do NOT allow your anger to supersede your mission again._

"I could have _killed_ the Five," Tai Lung ferociously denoted. "Until you interfered."

 _I wouldn't have needed to interfere._

 _If you had just obtained the beacon._

Tai Lung sighed, knowing this would lead nowhere.

"I am done asking you questions spirit," Tai Lung emphasized, vision turning back to the Valley. "I am close to my home. And after I take the Dragon Scroll - this Valley will know who I am. _You_ will know who I am."

Tai Lung paused, choosing to savor his next words. "I am grateful for everything you have done for me, spirit - but as soon as that sacred power floods through me - I will locate your presence. Then kill you."

Tai Lung paused again, because the voice didn't rebuke this immediately. But after a few seconds, the response came.

 _Then do what you must, boy._

Tai Lung growled, pouncing off on all fours - vision of the Valley growing brighter and clearer with every step.

 **. . .**

Shifu's first response had been complete fear.

Then complete anger.

After dragging the Five inside the Palace's Main Hall, unlocking Mantis, Monkey, and Viper's paralyzed bodies, then proceeding to heal as much of the Five's injuries as possible - Shifu had elected to give a brief, but quick interrogation. After learning what had transpired, the old master combined this with a terse scolding.

"He could have killed you."

Tigress didn't respond.

"You allowed him time to reach the Valley - and now we can't evacuate the citizens!"

The Five didn't respond.

"Po - we - none of us are ready."

No one responded.

For the first time in weeks, everyone was in the same Hall. The Five sat down on the marble flooring, clutching at their various injuries (only half-healed) with depressive outlooks. Po was standing next to Shifu, both pairs of eyes focused on the golden Dragon statue fixed to the high ceiling - Dragon Scroll held perfectly in its jaws. Po saw his reflection in the pool in front of him.

Broken images.

A lost face.

The ripples of water making his appearance look completely incongruous.

None of it made sense.

Alf and Yu were present. None of the Five or Shifu had the strength to shoo the Seeker away, and none of them cared that the two had bags sitting next to their feet. In an almost twisted irony, the constant sense of Dragon metaphors were everywhere - green Dragon paintings on the floor, on the walls, many lining the various artifacts cluttering the large space, among many more instances.

None of it helped.

"Shifu," Po remarked, voice tight. "We need the Scroll. Now."

"You are not ready," Shifu noted, somber tones letting itself through.

"We don't have a choice now," Po remarked, voice grim as well. "Just - just do it."

Shifu braced himself, tilting Oogway's staff in his hands. He spun it gently upwards, displacing flower petals resting on the pool's surface.

The Five joined Po and Shifu. Even Alf and Yu walked closer.

Shifu made movements with the staff again. More petals flew into the air, gathering everyone's attention as in a rare moment of serenity - everything was working according to plan.

One petal drifted farther than the others. It came to a rest gently atop the Dragon Scroll.

A slight scratching noise.

The Scroll began to tip downward.

Shifu made a final movement.

The Scroll fell.

Shifu extended the staff perfectly forward, right above the center of the pool. The semi-circular end of the staff made light contact with the scroll, gently easing its way down - just touching the tip of the water's surface.

The ripples cleared instantly, replaced by a perfect reflection of the Five, Shifu, Po, Alf, and Yu.

"Woah - kinda _supercool_ …" Po unintentionally let out.

Shifu smiled, rotating the scroll's cap off. He extended it to Po, breaths coming out in heavy whispers.

"Read it, Po," Shifu begged. "Read it, and become - the _Dragon Warrior_."

The Five were standing in dead silence. Alf moved closer, ignoring Yu's silent pleas to keep a safe distance from Shifu.

Po grasped the Scroll, unfurling it quickly.

The longest of all pauses. The Five looked away, bodies acting like they were paralyzed again. Shifu fell quiet. Alf couldn't see the Scroll.

Only Yu understood what was happening before the others, watching Po's expression fall.

"It's - it's _blank_ ," Po breathed.

A jutting, almost hurtful silence.

Shifu grabbed the Scroll immediately, brushing past the golden dragon trims to look at the central substance.

It wasn't actually blank - but just reflective. Shifu saw his own features, more aged and grave than he had ever seen, peer back into himself.

"It's a _metaphor_ ," Shifu stated, voice tired. "About believing in oneself."

Po was shaking with rage. The Five shot each other perplexed expressions. Only Alf and Yu resigned their heads downward, having somewhat predicted this.

A flurry of voices.

"A METAPHOR!?"

"OOGWAY WAS CRAZY!"

"AFTER ALL THIS TIME - OUR FINAL HOPE - IS A FREAKIN' _METAPHOR?"_

"THERE IS NO DRAGON WARRIOR! THIS IS ALL JUST A BUNCH OF LIES!"

"NO!" Shifu interrupted, voice unforgiving.

The others fell silent immediately, watching the old master look at Oogway's staff with regret.

"Oogway was wiser than us all," Shifu remarked, waving down Tigress' protests. "He - He just couldn't have expected what happened. With Po's short training. With _you all_ failing to give us time."

The Five turned their heads downward again.

"Can I say something?" Alf broke in, completely unable to restrain himself any longer.

Yu gasped. This was the first time - since Alf and Po had come to the Palace - that the Seeker had elected to speak.

In front of everyone.

Actually _asked_ to speak.

Mantis was looking at Shifu with concern. Monkey and Viper's mouths were open, fear gripping them. Crane looked at the floor in apprehension.

Tigress looked at Alf. Po looked at Shifu's eyes glow red.

"Tigress - _shock_ him for speaking out of turn," Shifu spat.

Alf's heart seized up, fingers flying to his collar immediately.

"If I may, Master," Tigress noted, voice a bit stronger now. "I would like to hear what the boy has to say."

Alf kept his grip on the collar. The rest of the Five looked dumbfounded. Po stood uncomfortably in the center of the chaos. Yu kept a careful gaze at Shifu, who was quivering slightly.

Alf looked at Tigress. Her normally ferocious orange eyes were tinted less, shone less - perhaps even seemed just a tiny bit - _softer_.

 _Boy_? Alf questioned internally. _She called me - boy?_

And he could have sworn that what happened next was nearly unbelievable - the stuff of fantasy and daydreams.

Shifu nodded his head in enraged, but agreeable silence. Tigress's gaze lingered on Alf, wordlessly egging him on.

"Master Oogway was - a _great_ teacher," Alf noted, fingers refusing to let go of the collar. "A great _master_. A great - _scholar_ of kung fu."

Alf paused, amazed at being allowed to keep talking. Tigress nodded her head again, encouraging him.

"But - he had certain _flaws_ ," Alf mentioned quietly, voice almost to a whisper as Shifu's nostrils flared. The Five and Po - surprisingly - nodded their heads in agreement. "Call it _idealism_. Maybe it's old age. I - "

Shifu's teeth started showing, anger flooding through him. Alf quickly rerouted.

" - it's just that - for some things… metaphors won't help. _Sayings_ won't help. _Prophecies_ \- won't help. All that matters is knowing that maybe - just maybe - what really matters for some things is having a _plan_. _Details_. Stuff that's - _proven_ to work."

Shifu's gaze somewhat calmed itself. His words came out tense, but restrained. "He told me that Po - was a peach."

"Great line for a poem," Alf noted silently. The Five - again to his great surprise - sent out tiny chuckles. The faintest whisper of a smile may have appeared on Tigress' face - but he could have also been hallucinating.

" - but maybe not so much for knowing _what_ to do," Alf finished. "A peach needs time to grow. Water. Sunlight. Care. _Work_. A _plan_."

Alf took a moment to pause, every second passing (where he was _still_ left un-shocked) amazing him further.

"All I'm saying is that we can't depend on Oogway now," Alf emphasized. "Only - on ourselves."

"And what do _you_ plan to do - _fleshling_?" Shifu spat, tension coming back into his voice.

Alf gulped. "I - well, Yu and myself are running - running as far away as possible."

Yu waved a hand uneasily in front of her. The Five turned their gazes to her, then back to Alf. Po looked resigned, almost expecting the next few words.

"And we - well I - would recommend doing that too."

Yu was shocked at the audacity of this statement.

The Five looked conflicted, looking at each other and back. Tigress looked completely emotionless. Po felt anxious, staring at Alf with a completely understanding look. Shifu merely growled.

" _We_ are _not_ \- _cowards_." Shifu delivered, as harshly as possible. He didn't even look to see the Five - many of them genuinely mulling over Alf's plan. "We will _defend_ this Valley to our _dying_ breaths… isn't that right, students?"

Tigress nodded her head immediately. Crane and Monkey nodded weakly. Mantis looked away, while Viper kept a sympathetic stare at the bag sitting near Alf.

"Po?" Shifu asked, staring at the panda.

Alf couldn't let this happen. He gave a stare right back at Po, watching the panda oscillate his gaze from Alf to Shifu, then back to Alf, then back to Shifu.

 _Please Po_ , Alf thought internally. _Do the right thing. Please - big bro._

Something told Alf that Po had heard him. Yet his face didn't change.

"I - I'll stay," Po noted, watching Shifu's expression smile as Alf's fell. "Besides - I've gotta get my dad out and stuff…"

This was mostly a pretense. Alf's heart sank. Yu gripped his shoulder, squeezing mildly.

"He's made his choice," she whispered to him, trying to pull him away. "Come on Alf - let's just…"

Alf began yielding to her pressure.

He had tried.

"What will we do now, Master?" Viper squeaked, tail still sore from the beating Tai Lung inflicted on her.

"Evacuate as many villagers as possible," Shifu noted, tone grave. "We - won't be able to save most of them - considering how much time we have. Just - just do it, or at least tell them to start running."

"And what about us?" Po questioned.

Shifu - for the first time in many years - gave a genuine smile. He walked over to the large panda, gripping his paw in quiet pride.

"You have grown in skill considerably, Po," Shifu affirmed, watching the Five round up on the panda with appreciative gazes. "You - didn't quit when we told you to. You kept fighting. You've learned what _kung fu_ is. You - despite knowing what will happen - chose to stay with us."

Tigress smiled, holding Po's shoulder, offering a statement of her own. "If that doesn't make you the Dragon Warrior, I don't know what will."

Po was so fixated on Tigress actually showing an emotion that he forgot about the rest of the Five - and even Shifu! They rounded up, smiling at him in earnest appreciation.

"The _fleshling_ is right," Shifu admitted, throwing down the Dragon Scroll. "We can only depend on ourselves now. _We_ will try our best. We will fight as hard as possible. As one - team."

Po's doubt was quickly fading, despite the impending end.

Despite all the probability in the world that Tai Lung would kill them all.

Despite knowing this would likely be the last time he would see Alf again.

Despite everything his heart had been saying for the last sixteen years.

He was ready. He _chose_ to be.

 _That's_ what made the difference. He understood what Oogway had meant - but knew that the rest was up to him now.

Shifu smiled, shooing the Five away as they sprinted out of the front gates of the Palace, making their way down the Thousand Steps - leading into the Valley. Cool noon air flew in, almost signaling some kind of change.

Alf finally gave way to Yu's pressure on his shoulder, moving backwards. He tried his best to put Po out of his mind - focusing on exiting through a backgate in the Palace.

"Seeker."

He whipped around. Yu kept her grip on his shoulder.

Tigress.

Alf got a chance to look more closely at her. The broken knee was only partially splinted, and some of the purple bruises lining her face still remained. She was clutching at her ribs as well.

"Don't think for a _second_ that what I did back there _changes_ anything," Tigress noted harshly. "Seekers are still the _worst scum_ on this world."

Alf nodded quickly, wondering why she had taken time out to parrot something back to him that had been said already - by literally everyone in the Valley of Peace.

"But…"

That part was new. Alf watched Tigress try to get a good grasp of the words.

"... I understand that there are some things I don't know," Tigress admitted. "The Seekers that we were told about in history books - and well - compared to you… I'll be the first to say, there isn't much similarity."

Alf suppressed a gasp.

A compliment? Could it even be classified as a compliment?

"Thanks…" Alf let out, keeping his tone incredibly low and respectful.

"Not much of a compliment," Tigress replied, answering Alf's mental questions. "The Seekers - well - they were a barbaric, savage people. They nearly destroyed the world until they were defeated."

 _Defeated_? Alf thought. _By who? When? Where? What?_

He had heard the _savage_ description before.

He had _never_ heard the _defeat_ part.

From anyone.

The villagers.

Po.

No one.

"That's actually what we're planning to do," Yu chimed in, clearly overstepping her bounds as Tigress snorted. "Learn more about Alf's history and okay I'll shut up…"

Tigress stared at Alf, eyes again growing considerably softer than what Alf was accustomed to seeing.

"Good luck, boy," Tigress finished, beginning to turn away. "I - I hope you find out the truth and - maybe even live somewhere more… peaceful. More - _tolerant_ \- of your kind."

Then Tigress did something Alf had truly never expected.

Her paw drifted into her waistband, pulling out a small metal box - red button centered at the edge.

Tigress grasped Alf's smaller hands - just before they made their way to touch his collar reactively. She gently placed the device in Alf's palms.

"Maybe it's all my head injuries," Tigress noted. "Or perhaps Tai Lung's arrival, or fear, or something - has finally let me know that - you didn't deserve to be held prisoner by this."

Alf's hands were shaking. He blinked twice, making sure it was really in his fingers.

"Farewell."

With that, the last member of the Five sprinted away, making her path through the gates and down the Thousand Steps.

"Come on," Yu forced, tugging at Alf again - even carrying both bags now. "We don't have much time. We have to go."

Alf began walking with her, a small part of him excited to have the button under his control - but his mind was inexorably drawn to the large, flabby panda standing next to Shifu - black and white hue growing dimmer by the second.

 **. . .**

"Home."

Tai Lung smiled.

The Valley of Peace was exactly as he had left it. The noon sunlight bounced off the simple clay and stone buildings, throwing itself into the ample rock and dust floor. The villagers were minding their usual business - some carrying pots, others running to deliver messages, and more just standing or walking around the center of the Valley - navigating narrow roads, talking to each other, enjoying freedom and life…

The same freedom and life that had been robbed from Tai Lung - for twenty years.

The first pig who saw him - and Tai Lung made no attempt to hide himself - screamed. This lead to a cascade of screams, echoing throughout the crowd of onlookers.

Tai Lung grinned, deciding to have a little _fun_ before making his way up to the Palace. Through the building next to him, a small goose with even smaller stature walked out - staring directly at Tai Lung with first confusion, then fear.

Tai Lung smiled at the sign. _Mr. Ping's_ noodle shop.

The goose merely clucked, scared. The snow leopard bared his teeth.

 _Excellent choice of victim._

 _Kill him first._

Tai Lung launched forward. The goose gave no resistance.

The snow leopard didn't need to do much. With one well-placed paw, pressuring the goose's tiny windpipe - movement gradually went from flapping at Tai Lung's muscular forearms, to shaking, to eventually nothing.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _*Mic drop*_

 _I told y'all Alf being in the story would change things - few ppl didn't believe me - well, do you believe me now? :D And we're not even at the end of KFP1 yet, let alone 3! (assuming I plan to end this story after KFP3 - which might be wron - oops! Sorry for spoiler! Hehe…)_

 _Seriously though, I hope people are enjoying the plot divergence and seeing how things sort of "spiral" because of plot points set very early on in my version of KFP - and all of that is ramping up with each chapter! Imagine KFP 3's plot considering this last scene…_

 _I'm working at a breakneck speed because I desperately wanna start writing KFP2. The rest of KFP 1 is planned out._

 _That should indicate how exciting things are gonna be now. And remember, I pride myself in having tricks up my sleeve ;)_

 _Do I even need to say how amazing y'all are?_

 _~TW_


	14. KFP 1:14

" **For the Valley (I)"**

* * *

"HE'S HERE!"

"ARGH!"

 _Whoosh._

 _Crack._

"NO!"

"PLEASE - ERGH!"

Po was running as quickly as possible, practically pushing past running villagers. In any other situation, he would have been running with them - not towards the very thing they were sprinting away from.

Yet he had made his choice. He ignored the noise - the yelling, the screaming, the breaking of flesh - desperately making his way to the center of the commotion.

The Valley was being thrown into chaos. Dust was clouding the thick air. Slowly, dusk began making an appearance. Buildings were being emptied at a rapid rate, some villagers' bodies laying face down - some with blood marks, some with purple marks on their neck, others just punched into unrecognizability. The ones who managed to run away were still somewhat injured, but all the adrenaline pumping through their veins spurred their motions away from the center.

 _Dad._

Po ignored the thought.

 _He must have gotten out. He must have._

Po failed to locate the goose anywhere. The one place - perhaps the only logical place to check - was the shop, but that was a bit further away from where Po was going. He had to get to the center of the Valley, the only space wide enough to accomodate enough combatants and hopefully keep innocent villagers out of harm's way.

The ones who hadn't already perished.

Po shivered, thinking of his father again.

They had to save as many people as possible. Defeating Tai Lung wasn't even a priority anymore.

And Po met the snow leopard immediately. Right in the heart of the Valley, flanked by numerous clay-white buildings and standing firmly on dusty, thick ground - Tai Lung held Tigress up by the throat, squeezing harder as other members of the Five and Shifu encircled the pair.

"WHERE - IS - THE DRAGON - WARRIOR!?" Tai Lung roared.

"Right here!" Po screamed back, watching Tai Lung toss Tigress' limp form to the side.

"Ah yes," Tai Lung noted, making a visual tracing from Po, then to the base of the Thousand Steps - both directly in-line. "The _panda_ \- hehe, I couldn't believe it when I heard it. I assumed you would be hiding in that _Palace_."

 _Kill them._

 _Now._

"Where is the Dragon Scroll?" Tai Lung ignored the spirit, keeping two eyes focused on Shifu and the rest of the Five - still encircling him with fists raised.

 _I will tolerate your insolence, boy._

 _As soon as you get the Scroll, kill them._

 _And get the beacon._

"You - will _never_ be the Dragon Warrior," Shifu firmly denounced. "ATTACK!"

"NO!" Po screamed.

The Five rallied themselves. Shifu looked shocked, mouth already bleeding a bit. Po kept his ground, pulling out the golden scroll.

"PO!" Tigress yelled. "He does not deserve to - "

"LOOK AT IT!" Po forced, opening and showing the reflective golden surface to Tai Lung. "LOOK! IT'S NOTHING!"

Po kept his position. Tai Lung - with speed so quick it nearly baffled the panda - snatched the scroll, flexing and unfurling the scroll again and again.

"What is this…" Tai Lung gasped, seeing his own reflection for the first time in twenty years. "You - you - THIS IS A LIE!"

"It isn't!" Po stated, voice breaking due to emotion. "You've met Oogway! Is this really that freakin' weird for him to do?"

Tai Lung growled.

It couldn't be.

Twenty years in prison.

A lifetime waiting for this.

All the regret. The shame that Shifu had for him.

All the sense of wanting to pay it back.

Someone had robbed him of it.

"Give me the _real_ scroll," Tai Lung breathed dangerously. "Or I will break every bone in your body."

"He's not going to stop, Po!" Viper called out. "He'll kill everyone and everything in the Valley! No matter what!"

"It's a metaphor," Po noted, bowing his head slightly. "It - "

"YES YES ABOUT BELIEVING IN YOURSELF!" Tai Lung cut him off, eyes practically bursting out of his head. "OOGWAY WOULD HAVE NOT HAVE TAKEN ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT TO JUST - "

The snow leopard stopped, seeing his reflection again in the Scroll's surface.

It didn't feel recognizable to him. It wasn't the same, happy, youthful twenty-year old that Shifu was so proud to be associated with. It wasn't the same cub that the old master had taken in all those years ago.

The face had more lines. The fur was sharp and bristled. The eyes had only malice and hatred.

Tai Lung couldn't understand why he looked like that.

 _Do not listen to the panda's tricks, boy._

 _Kill them all._

"I _get_ it," Po noted, moving closer to the snow leopard - ignoring Tigress' protests, watching the rest of the Five circle up closer. "The time. The feeling that it was stolen from you. You losing _everything_ because of some crazy old - _turtle_. Because of some crazy old - _dad_."

Tai Lung's eyes flew to Shifu. He had never taken the time to pause and look at what he was fighting.

Many villagers' bodies were laying face down around him. Blood gashes were omnipresent. The remaining villagers had cleared out, moving at a fast pace away from him.

Shifu didn't look the same. The limp Tai Lung had given him still existed, but there was also an element of age.

Tiredness.

Regret.

A specific regret.

Tai Lung had seen that feeling before - right after Oogway had stopped his assault all those years ago.

Shifu had given him that same look. A nostalgic affection - long since abandoned in favor of an objective, almost procedural enmity.

"Look around you," Po whispered, watching the snow leopard's eyes stare at the ground. "Look at the bodies. The chaos. Is it all - really worth it?"

 _Listen - to - me - BOY._

 _KILL. THEM._

"Just - " Tai Lung stated quietly, punching the ground hard enough to crack it. " - just give me the _real_ scroll, panda…"

"Son."

Po's first impression was to try and find his father, but the voice was too low and refined. The Five took a moment to locate the source.

Tai Lung however - recognized it immediately.

Shifu moved closer, limp showing itself more. "I'm - I'm sorry."

Tai Lung flung his paw at Shifu, gripping the old master tightly by the neck and lifting him effortlessly into the air.

"WHERE IS IT?!" Tai Lung roared.

The Five took no more time. Mantis and Crane lunged at Tai Lung, who promptly flipped over them and kicked away - sending both masters flying into the nearest clay wall. With his free hand, Tai Lung grabbed Monkey by the tail - and before the master could react - threw him into Tigress' already injured ribs.

Viper was still, focusing her tail at the massive snow leopard.

"PLEASE!" Shifu begged, feeling his airway constrict. "STOP THIS! DON'T HURT ANY OF THEM! HURT ME! KILL ME!"

"No! Shifu!" Po yelled, running forward to attempt a spin kick.

Tai Lung bared his teeth, rotating his forearm in a vicious counter move - colliding it directly with Po's shin.

The feeling of cracking had never been so apparent. Po clutched at the leg with desperation, flipping upwards to kick Tai Lung straight in the head.

Mere seconds after the foot made contact, Tai Lung had recovered - again using his free arm to grab Po by the neck - slamming the panda hard onto the ground.

"OOF!"

Po felt the wind surge out of him.

"YOU LET EVERYONE LIE TO ME BACK THEN!" Tai Lung screamed, tightening his grip on Shifu. "AND STILL YOU LIE! WHERE IS THE SCROLL!?"

"You - never - needed it..." Shifu croaked back.

Po grimaced, watching the Five get back up and resume circling Tai Lung.

"What do you mean?" Tai Lung spat. "What do mean I - "

Shifu's voice was growing increasingly strained. The Five were just beginning to recover from their blows, trying to seek an easy opening - a part of Tai Lung that was unprotected, unguarded - yet they couldn't find it. Po kept his stance low and to the ground, thinking hard about what to do next.

"You - are - my best student," Shifu let out, voice coming in hoarse whispers. "You - from the moment I met you - were the best. You never needed a scroll - or a - ergh- prophecy."

Tai Lung stared hard at Shifu.

He was determined to continue the feeling.

The feeling of hate.

He wanted to keep feeling the urge to kill Shifu.

He had fantasized about it for so long.

The same desire that drove him to survive in Chorh-Gom - one day hoping to break free.

To reclaim what was his.

But now - he didn't know what that was.

"You were like, my favorite master," Po broke in, voice coughing out dust. "Yanno - _minus_ the whole _revenge against the Valley_ part. And second to Tigress, of course."

Tigress - despite being bruised and injured - rolled her eyes.

"The scroll," Tai Lung relied upon, trying to focus all his energy on the _one_ thing that had been constant in his life - the _one_ thing that had been pushing him for the last twenty years. "The scroll... don't try to trick me with some idiotic _metaphor_..."

"You never needed some stupid metaphor, dude," Po emphasized, trying to walk somehow and put weight on the injured shin. "You were _Tai Lung._ That was enough."

"I - I was your favorite?" Tai Lung noted, eyes narrowing. His grip on Shifu's neck slacked a bit. "I was - what did you read about me?"

"That you were epic!" Po continued, voice just minutely enthusiastic. "First to master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu! Adopted from birth - came up from nothing! Hit so hard that even the Shield of _Xeng Shing_ could break under your force!"

"Heh," Tai Lung involuntarily let out. "That - could be exaggerating it - just a little."

The Five kept their stances, but they focused on Po now - perhaps happy that all the villagers had left the Valley by now. The entire area seemed more focused as well - just Shifu and Tai Lung, and Po, surrounded by the Five, moonlight just beginning to flow through cool night air.

They were still at the center of the Valley. They weren't even close to the base of the Thousand Steps.

 _STOP WASTING TIME._

 _KILL THEM._

Tai Lung - for perhaps the thousandth time in the last few weeks - was growing irritated of the voice.

"No man," Po replied, moving just a tiny bit closer - keeping his gaze low and humble towards Tai Lung. "The reason those legends exist is because you were part of them. _You made them_. Not Shifu. Not Oogway. Not even the Dragon Scroll. It was all - you."

Tai Lung's grip on Shifu was slacking to the point where the old master was held loosely now. The Five still were around him, but their arms were down. Tigress looked at Po with a small smile - shocked at what the panda was able to do.

Tai Lung's eyes moved again to Shifu.

The old master nodded, small tears just beginning to form at the edges of those aged eyelids. "You never needed it, _son_."

Tai Lung clenched his teeth.

He wasn't sure what he was feeling.

But a part of him wanted this to end.

It didn't feel right anymore.

It didn't feel like what he had imagined it to be.

"Father," Tai Lung quietly whispered. "I - I'm sorry."

Po's grin exploded. The Five's eyes went wide. Tigress kept an appreciative gaze at the panda.

Shifu and Tai Lung stared at each other, almost as if they had seen a long-distant memory together and were just beginning to understand what it meant.

Po knew it was going to be alright now. The Five began smiling. Tai Lung gently started letting Shifu down.

 _You forced my hand boy._

"ARGH!"

Po was shocked. Shifu moved quickly away, joining the rest of the Five as they stared at the snow leopard - convulsing and raging at the floor, the sky, and everything around him.

Tai Lung's eyes went wide. His paws flew to his ears.

The ringing was back. It was sharp and piercing this time - and the intensity was unbelievable. The pain seared through the snow leopard like boiling oil.

 _All this time - I tried to give you a choice._

 _I tried to allow you to execute your own plan._

 _I hoped that - out of gratefulness for helping you escape from the Prison…_

 _You would help me._

 _You have failed._

Despite the pain, Tai Lung fought back. "I - _I_ did all that. Me. _Tai Lung..._ "

 _You are nothing._

 _Nothing without me._

 _Now…_

 _Now I will show you what it really means…_

 _To feel imprisoned._

Tai Lung's head felt like it was being torn apart. A dull sense of peace - then nothing. The snow leopard lost consciousness, sliding to the ground in a flurry.

Po and the Five stared with confusion. Tai Lung lay motionless on the hard, rocky ground - bright moonlight illuminating his closed, tired eyes.

A pause.

Then a burst.

Shifu started choking. Tai Lung's paw was around him once more.

Po and the Five watched in horror, watching the snow leopard stand up - face completely unrecognizable.

The same features were there - even the same colored eyes - but the feeling wasn't there. Something had changed.

"On second thought - _father_ \- I changed my mind. I'd like to kill all of you."

 **. . .**

"What does the map say?"

No response.

"Alf?"

Still no response.

"Alf!"

Nothing.

Yu sighed, making her way over to the daydreaming boy.

Moonlight was fresh, and they had just heard some piercing screams coming from the Valley. The path they had elected to take was moderate and easy to traverse, and aside from the constant stream of forestry in the form of bamboo trees, rock-ridden ground and cluttering insects - the Wu Dan mountains felt close. Yu could see it just over in the distance of her vision, jagged peaks overset by a clear, dark blue night sky.

"Dude, is your bag too heavy or something?" Yu asked, watching Alf pause in the middle of the stone path splitting the forest. "Why are you stopping?"

Alf's eyes went from Yu, to the ground, then back to his bag.

"Nothing," Alf emphasized. "Let's keep moving."

"No - what is it?" Yu forced, shoving Alf back as he tried to walk forward. She placed her bag down as well. "Spit it out now - I don't want anything coming up later."

"It's just stupid," Alf noted. "Forget it. We've gotta go, anyway. If those sounds that we just heard were any indication…"

"You wanna go back."

Alf avoided looking at Yu - or at least tried to, until the fox shoved his head up with three fingers pushing his chin upwards.

"Admit it," Yu denoted. "I knew this would happen."

"Knew _what_ would happen?" Alf asked back, anger flaring up. "That I would actually _care_ about the dude I knew since like - my first memory? Yeah - what a surprise…"

"It isn't about that!" Yu fired back, eyes glaring. "You brought up this whole stupid idea! Can you not commit to anything?"

"I commit to stuff! I'm gonna go - alright? Can't I just feel _shitty_ about what's happening?"

"What's _shitty_ about it?" Yu asked, glowering. "They _chose_ that!"

"Yeah well I'm _choosing_ to feel guilty!"

"FOR WHAT?!"

"BECAUSE I WON'T SEE PO AGAIN! BECAUSE I WISH I COULD HAVE HELPED HIM!"

"Wait wait wait, back up," Yu stopped, suddenly calm and alert. "Did you say you wanted to - _help_ him?"

"Yeah, help him come with us," Alf tried.

"No," Yu rejected. "You said _help_. Like - you want to go back and fight that crazy leopard dude."

Alf stayed silent.

"Oh my freaking scrolls," Yu let out, staring at the sky with an exasperated smile. "Alf! You're the freaking _scum of the Valley_ \- as everyone keeps reminding you about. What do you think will happen when Tai Lung sees you?"

Alf frowned. "He'll kill me."

"Instantly! With no effort at all! And you don't even have Po's training! Shifu is too busy hating your guts to back you up, the Five won't care, the Valley won't care - "

"What about me?!" Alf broke in. "I care! About Po!"

"What about me?!" Yu retorted, equal tone of voice. "I care! About _you_!"

Alf stopped, pacing back and forth with a mild sense of discomfort.

"You'd really risk your neck out for a guy who said _no_ to your face?"

A silence came. Yu didn't exactly understand what Alf was feeling, but she could definitely estimate it somewhat. It was in his pauses, the hesitation he had when walking, the constant lookbacks that he flashed at every moment he thought she wasn't looking - but more than that, it had been his attitude.

The lack of words. The lack of conversation.

She knew it had been off - the second they had left the Palace.

"When I was young, a group of kids followed me to Po's house one night."

Yu looked up, watching Alf stare at her feet with simplicity. She moved closer, interest piqued.

"And?" she gently added.

Alf smiled, recalling the memory. "It was some rhino kids. I must have been like - eight or nine, or something. They knew where Po went to school, they knew where we met up after his school was done."

" _His_ school?" Yu asked, puzzled. "You guys went to separate schools?"

"No, I mean _his_ school," Alf clarified. "I'm not - um - _allowed_ in schools."

Yu moved her gaze to the ground.

Alf continued. "So anyway, one night these group of kids just - sorta see that this panda hangs around with this Seeker kid - the kid the Valley sort of talks about, but only in like - private places, places no one can hear. And they decide to - yanno - test a theory out."

Yu brought her head up, curious. "Theory?"

"People sorta say - that because Seekers don't really have um - fur," Alf began. "If you - well - _brand_ their skin, it doesn't really heal off - it stays on, basically."

Yu understood what had happened immediately.

She shuddered.

Kids.

No more than eight or nine.

She moved a hand to Alf's shoulder, but he pushed it away.

"That's not the point of the story," Alf forced "It's just for - context, I guess."

"I'm sorry, Alf," Yu remarked, hand making contact with his shoulder again. "I - I can't even imagine what it must have felt like."

"Yeah well," Alf continued, trying to move past that point. "So the night the kids finally corner me somewhere - I think it was some weird forest place, kinda like this - they pin me down and yanno - take off my shirt and gag my mouth so no one would hear…"

Alf paused, oddly smiling. "... as if anyone in this Valley would give a crap if they heard a Seeker screaming."

Yu returned the smile, but only out of favor. Nothing felt humorous so far.

"So I'm screaming and screaming," Alf went on. "And obviously - the kids are laughing, drawing different kinds of shapes and letters - and trying new stuff and - and all of a sudden, this fat panda comes outta nowhere…"

Yu's eyes went wide. "You're kidding! Po beat them all up?"

Alf grinned. "No! They jumped him and beat him up 'till he fell asleep!"

Yu laughed uproariously. " _Seriously_?"

Alf smiled, true enjoyment now showing itself. "I swear, he didn't even get knocked out - it was like two punches and then - he just went to bed! On the forest floor!"

Yu shook her head in amusement. "So? How'd you get out?"

Alf's grin faded and the neutral expression - almost as if he was trying to hide any emotion - came back. "I - I didn't. I don't remember for how long they did it - probably because at a certain point, I just passed out - but I know they did it again. And again. And again. Too - too many times, really…"

Yu's eyes began to heat up. She didn't know whether to hug Alf, feel enraged, just feel ashamed to be part of the Valley, or anything else.

"And every single time the kids would corner me and pin me down," Alf started again. "Po came. And always, I'm talking _always_ \- we got our asses kicked."

Yu didn't smile this time, feeling uncomfortable.

"It's not just the branding thing," Alf noted. "It's _everything_. The angry villagers, Mr. Ping, him sharing food with me... since day one, Po and I have just - I don't know - always been there for each other."

"Through thick and thin," Yu completed. "Through the worst and the best. Through it all."

"Yeah," Alf agreed. "If in some crazy universe, if I was picked as the Dragon Warrior - Po would have come for me. I - I know that. I know _him_."

Yu kept silent.

"It's hard to know what I'm talking about - without going through all the things we went through," Alf finished. "Together."

Yu stayed silent again, watching Alf stare at the ground in defeat - almost as if he hadn't wanted to say it like this. A few idle birds whistled by, overcast by the sharp cast of screams constantly emanating from the Valley - still close enough to walk back to, but far enough to where if one wanted - they could move forward, not turn back, and never see the Valley again.

"You're right, I _can't_ know," Yu stated, albeit moving closer to Alf. "But - I do understand."

Now Alf chose to remain silent. Yu watched him with a conceding sense of acknowledgement.

"Well, whaddya waiting for?" Yu noted. "Just - do what you gotta do."

Alf's eyes perked up, sharp and attentive once more. "Yu - I - "

"Alf," Yu cut across, moving closer to him to place a paw on his soft cheekbone. "Just - just know that once you go there, I won't expect to see you come back. That is - if Po is even still alive."

Alf nodded his head in agreement. "I know. But it isn't about what we _expect_ , is it? It's all about what we _believe_."

More screams came from the Valley - cutting through the distance like a sharp knife.

"Get outta here, _fleshling_ ," Yu admitted, smiling. "It was - an honor. And - I'm taking your bag."

Alf grinned, placing the bag close to her. He began to sprint away, for the first time in many years feeling sure of himself - but at the same vein, knowing exactly what the outcome would be.

Yet that didn't diminish anything.

Yu watched the Seeker bolt away, wiping away a few remnant tears from her eye. She spent a few extra moments standing in silence, waiting for Alf's shadow to disappear behind thick bamboo trunks and windy, rocky paths. With newfound energy, she picked up the extra bag and slung it over her shoulder - making her way in pursuit of those jagged, inhospitable Wu Dan mountains.

* * *

 **A/N (yeah it's long, sorry)**

 _This chapter was an absolute blast to write! I love Alf's character and developing it piece by piece, layer by layer - is just lovely for writers to do._

 _And more Tai Lung/voice stuff! People tend to go crazy with speculation over this (PM'ers, I'm looking at you!). Guess you'll just have to wait and see… but remember what I said about me loving slow builds ;)_

 _My personal fav. Speculation: a reader asked if the voice was secretly an evil version of Yu who wanted to "kill the Five" so Alf would be forced to romance her! (XDXDXD)_

 _And whaddya know - DragonChronicle was right! (so far, hehe…) Alf ended up going back, awww…_

 _Also prob. on what's readers' minds:_

 _Q: Why r u updating so much like don't u have a life rofl_

 _A: I don't have a life :D_

 _And I'm crazy excited to finish KFP 1 (we're really close, tbh) and starting KFP2! As a writer, every time you get fresh ideas, you wanna implement them immediately - but then realize you have to finish existing plotlines.. LOL. I'm sure a lot of ppl have that feeling where it's like -_

 _WAU THAT COULD BE A GREAT IDEA._

 _Then you're like…_

 _Wait a sec i gotta finish off this stuff.. awww…_

 _Still love doing it tho!_

 _And - Support Lvl = Over 9000. 'Nuff said._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: woooo 50 reviews wooo let's get it to 100! (jk im not that guy/girl)_

 _P.P.S: If someone could drop a hate review, that'd be nice :) sometimes i look at all the amazing people reading/commenting on my stuff and then I read their stuff and I'm like… wow do i suck.. Seriously. You guys are freaking good…_

 _P.P.P.S (lol): paws of destiny is out on amazon prime. No furious five/Shifu. Disappointed but haven't watched it yet… so here goes nothing..._


	15. KFP 1:15

" **For the Valley (II)"**

* * *

 _CLANG._

 _THOK._

 _WHUMP._

 _BOOM._

"AH!"

"OWW!"

"OOF!"

"HEYAH!"

The Five went sent flying back, colliding through the front gates of the Jade Palace courtyard to smash into firm, rocky ground.

In a few moments, Po came flying through in the exact same manner - but his considerable body weight forced him downwards quicker, bashing him against the steps leading to the Training Hall.

And in the vague, glittering moonlight - two figures danced with each other at the Palace gates, motions in perfect unison as the larger snow leopard smashed down on the defensive red panda.

"Son! Please - don't - do - th - ERGH!"

It was Shifu's turn to fly back, force of the hit causing the air to ripple around him as he was pushed back into center of the Courtyard.

Tai Lung grinned, watching the Five reorient themselves and forcibly return Po to his feet. Shifu kept still on the ground, clutching at his now injured sides with regret.

"Master - ergh - " Po gasped, feeling a bit of blood trickle down his lip. "What was the point of letting him chase us all the way here?"

Shifu's gaze was stern and unrelenting. "Far from the villagers."

Tigress sprang into the air, Crane following her as they oscillated upward. With a mighty flap from his wings, Crane sent Tigress throttling down as she extended her foot downward.

Solid contact.

Tai Lung's head was forced to the ground, eyes going hazy for just a while. Tigress wasted no time, flipping backwards to send the snow leopard stumbling back.

"MANTIS!" Tigress roared. "MONKEY!"

A green and yellow blur - moving so fast that they could barely be seen - rotated behind Tai Lung, flipping into the small of his back.

"ARGH!"

Tai Lung was sent surging forward, colliding into the center of the Courtyard. The Five instantly encircled him, keeping an eye on Shifu as he stood up alongside Po.

The snow leopard merely grinned. "Amusing. Impressive."

Shifu ran immediately. Po grabbed his Master by the feet, swinging him around with incredible velocity - flinging him at Tai Lung.

Mantis and Crane swerved upwards. Tai Lung dodged slightly to the right, grabbing Tigress by the arm mid-flip - swinging her like a sword to smash into Crane and Viper. With a slight lowering of his head, Mantis flew right over him - missing the attack. As Tigress counter-punched, Tai Lung quickly deflected the blow with his forearm, headbutting Tigress into the ground.

A red and green blur. Tai Lung growled.

He flipped high upwards, intercepting Viper and Shifu mid-attack to flail them around - spinning for a good few seconds before throwing them down into the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Tai Lung saw Monkey charging at him with two bamboo sticks.

 _Fool._

He broke the first stick effortlessly, ripping the other one from Monkey's grip to smash into his face - watching the master fly in the air and burst through the wooden doors of the Training Hall.

He growled. Tai Lung leaped with all his strength, contorting his body in the wind.

The panda was back, meeting him mid-air at least fifty feet above the ground.

Po swung his leg, quicker than normal. Tai Lung dodged, sending a vicious counterkick aimed at Po's head.

The panda swiftly dodged, ramming Tai Lung with his shoulder.

"Not - ergh - bad," Tai Lung agreed, still in mid-air with Po. "Not - _enough_."

Tai Lung flipped even higher, bringing his foot down onto Po's face. The panda came crashing down to the ground, crushing Viper and Shifu.

Tai Lung spun himself like an arrow, zooming down to the ground with a primal roar.

"RAAAAA!"

 _BOOM_.

A silence of dust and coughing. The Courtyard flooring now had multiple cracks in it.

The next few moments were slow. Viper, Shifu, and Po lay next to Tai Lung - grasping their bodies in pain, some of them twitching from the impact. Monkey - body limping and shaky - tumbled down the steps of the Training Hall entrance and back into the Courtyard.

Tigress stood up, wincing as she cracked her neck. Monkey moved closer to her, assuming a nervous ready stance.

Tai Lung's perfectly sharpened fangs glistened in the moonlight. "How much longer do you plan to go on - _sister_?"

Tigress tugged at her red vest, pulling it tightly around her. "As - long as it takes."

"Until the end," Po noted, wheezing as Tai Lung viciously stomped down on his chest. "Ergh - to make sure we can save - eh - as many people as possible - from a _freak_ like you."

"I'll take all of your lives…" Tai Lung growled, punching Shifu savagely into the ground. "... every - single - one."

Shifu smiled, whiskers twitching. "That's - that's the _plan_."

Tai Lung smiled.

"HEY!"

Tai Lung narrowed his eyes, ears circling around. He began shifting his gaze backwards towards the entrance - where the last of the Thousand Steps lead into the Palace.

Standing at the head of the steps, casually leaning on the broken door hinge leading to Palace Courtyard - Alf was there, wheezing and gasping for breath as he obstructed full moonlight from flowing through the large space.

"Whoo - by the Scrolls - man - these stairs…" Alf noted, standing up with a cough. "Po - dude - you weren't kidding…"

Viper and Mantis - laying on the ground - gasped.

Monkey's eyes went wide. Crane started to regain consciousness - beak falling open.

Shifu frowned, eyebrows tilting inwards.

Po smiled.

Tigress was curious.

"Who - are you?" Tai Lung asked, stepping off Po's chest, making his way over to stare at Alf.

"Buddy," Alf began. "I - am the - "

He paused. What could he say?

Dragon Warrior? Definitely not.

Jade Master? Nope.

Scum of the Valley? Felt too weird to say it.

" - official water boy of - um - the Jade Palace!"

Po inadvertently let out a chuckle. Shifu growled. The Five merely stared - dumbfounded.

Tai Lung breathed heavily.

 _The tiger wasn't lying back then - intriguing._

 _Approach him. He must know where the beacon is._

"I'd heard whispers," Tai Lung gently noted, stepping close to Alf. "Whispers of a _Seeker_ being in the Valley of Peace. Whispers that this - _creature -_ furless, hairless, clawless - a true Seeker - had been found. I - I didn't believe it before today."

Alf felt some weird sense of pride come up. "Uh - yeah - cool, dude."

"But seeing you with my own eyes," Tai Lung noted, smiling. "It appears that the myths and legends have exaggerated your kind's ferocity - unless your kind were small, pathetic-looking, and _weak_."

Alf gulped, nodding his head. "Sorry to disappoint…"

Tai Lung was only ten feet away from Alf now.

 _He has it._

 _He. Has. It._

 _All this time - I was going about this the wrong way._

 _The beacon isn't with the tiger._

 _The boy has the beacon._

 _Wrapped around his neck._

Tai Lung made out the metallic collar firmly wrapped around Alf's neck.

" _Fleshling_ ," Tai Lung whispered dangerously low. "Give me that collar."

"Dude, I seriously wish I could," Alf emphasized, readying himself into a running stance.

 _The boy is playing games with you._

 _Like they all are._

 _Kill him - and rip that lying head off._

 _Bring me the beacon._

The snow leopard launched forward.

Alf's heart fluttered in fear. The speed was incredible. The shockwave that Tai Lung had sent out after jumping - sent the Five and Po stumbling backwards.

Perfect.

Alf ducked his head, revealing the object strapped to his back. In the same ducking motion, Alf struck a piece of flint against a string - attached to a large, cannon-shaped cylinder resting on the boy's back.

A firework.

Tai Lung couldn't realize it until it was too late.

 _BOOM._

The firework ignited, launching off Alf's back and colliding straight into Tai Lung mid-jump. The snow leopard wailed as it crushed past even his own strength, rocketing them both away and into the open doors of the Training Hall.

 _BOOM._

 _CRASH._

Alf reluctantly looked up, smiling at the billowing smoke coming out of the doors of the Training Hall.

Po sprinted over to him, crushing the boy to his chest in a ferocious hug.

"YOU CAME BACK!" Po screamed. "DUDE I LOVE YOU!"

"Bro - " Alf wheezed, feeling his airway constrict. " - you - you're crushing my - "

"Let the boy go, Po," Tigress asked, watching as the panda allowed Alf to crumple to the floor.

Alf breathed deeply for a while, getting back up. "So buddy - how's it going?"

Po smiled back, surprised to see Tigress move to his side. "Yanno - just tryin' to defeat literally the strongest Master to have ever - "

"FLESHLING!"

A bursting noise. Tai Lung charged blindly through a wall of the Training Hall, shattering it easily.

The Five rounded up in front of Shifu, who stood up once more. Po, Tigress and Alf made their way to the front of the line.

Everyone got in their battle stances. Alf merely stared at the angry snow leopard proceed towards them.

"AUGH!"

The force was incredible - almost mind-boggling. In a single, swift, nearly invisible kick - Tai Lung had sent Alf careering out of the Courtyard and into the stony steps laying just outside of the central structure - leading to the dormitories.

"Ergh - oh by the - " Alf groaned, feeling the side of his face swell up. "Wow does that hurt…"

Po came crashing next to him afterwards. Alf tried to regain composure, watching through the hole in the Courtyard walls.

Mantis and Monkey were laying on the floor, injured. Tigress and Viper were sparring with Tai Lung - but his movements were too quick, too vicious to correctly counter with - and everytime Shifu would try to sneak up behind him, Tai Lung would hear the master's movements and sidekick him away.

"We need to draw him to a smaller area," Alf noted. "Where he doesn't have as much vision. Small, dark spaces."

"Like we did with those rhino assholes all those years ago?" Po recalled, clutching his sore belly. "You _know_ that ended with us getting beaten up.. And this is _Tai Lung_ we're talking about."

"We've gotta try," Alf desperately motioned, watching Po sigh and nod his head. "HEY - OVER HERE YA BIG - STUPID - LEOPARD - UM - DUDE!"

"YEAH AND YOU WERE NEVER MY FAVORITE MASTER!" Po called out, watching Tai Lung smack Crane and Viper outside of the Courtyard as well. "I JUST SAID THAT SO I WOULDN'T HURT YOUR FEELINGS - BUT YOU'RE KINDA A DOUCHE ANYWAY SO I DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT IT!"

Shifu spun around, being snatched in mid-air. Tai Lung threw Shifu back up and leaped into the sky, punching the smaller master away and down the Thousand Steps.

Po was growing infuriated. "HEY! TIGRESS!"

Tigress - about to re-spar with Tai Lung - elected to gracefully leap outside of the Courtyard, landing near Po and Alf.

"WHAT?" she yelled.

"We need to draw him somewhere else," Po emphasized quickly, wincing as Tai Lung brutally broke Viper's tail mid-strike and threw her against a nearby clay wall.

"Like higher up, with less land so we can just sort of push him off," Alf emphasized, shocked at a sudden idea. "The Pool. The Pool of Sacred Tears."

"What?" Tigress animated, desiring to go back to sparring. "Being that high up - he could just as easily _kill us_ from that height, if we get kicked off!"

"It'll get us even farther away from the direction the villagers are heading," Po broke in. "And - we'll have a better chance."

Tigress frowned, looking at Po. The panda turned his head down, muttering something incomprehensible.

She looked at Alf, his lip just bleeding in silence.

"It's a chance," Alf stated. "It's worth it."

Tigress sighed.

"I'll draw him up," Tigress acknowledged. "Po - get the rest of the Five and Shifu, and meet me up there."

Tigress leaped over the low Courtyard wall again, running at full force to tackle Tai Lung straight down to the ground.

"She can buy us some time," Po agreed. "I'll get the _supercool totally not injured_ Masters. I'll see you up there, Alf."

Alf nodded, watching the panda rocket away. He eyed the peak of the mountains in the distance, pulling out a small string and the flint hiding in his pockets.

He sprinted.

The path upward the mountain was closer than what he had always made it out to be. Within a short few seconds, Alf found himself at the base of an enormous pillar of rock - with a single, winding path leading upwards. The peak of the mountain was much narrower than the base, yet it had a few trees and a solitary pool of water - reflection just beginning to dance as the moon waned over the long night. The mountain itself, however - was scraggly and littered with scarce footholds, a constant sense of foreboding danger, and -

 _WHUMP._

"AHH!"

Tigress' body flew right past Alf, soaring up the mountain. Alf hid himself behind a large rock, watching Tai Lung chase her up with awe-inspiring speed. The two Masters effortlessly made their way to the top of the mountain.

Alf began climbing, sprinting down the winding path. To his great surprise, Crane - carrying Po, Mantis, and Viper - flew straight up the large peak. Shifu and Monkey moved with each other suddenly, leaping on narrow wedges of rock embedded in the mountain to push themselves up with dizzying urgency.

Alf continued his sprint, hearing many of the same noises coming from the peak.

 _WHUMP._

 _BOOSH._

 _BOOM._

 _POW._

 _CRUNCH._

"AGH!"

"ERGH!"

"NO!"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

He sprinted harder, hearing Po's scream of agony come in full force. The entire world was just a blur of brown and red images now.

The path winded more.

"ARGH!"

Alf pushed himself.

 _SQUELCH._

As hard as he could.

 _SNAP._

As long as he could.

"AUGH!"

Until the end.

And he tripped.

Alf took a long, running stumble onto solid - level ground. He skidded for a while, forcing himself to stop at a sharp precipice.

He looked down.

Nothingness. Dark fog. He was hundreds of feet above the Palace now.

Alf turned back, seeing a large body of water and a few trees placed around it. And right at the edge of the Pool, clutching Tigress by the neck once more - Tai Lung stood undefeated. Shifu, Po, and the rest of the Five lay down motionless next to him.

Alf stood up, feet slipping a bit on the loose grassland. "TIGRESS! GET DOWN!"

With all the strength she could muster, Tigress planted both feet on Tai Lung's chest - kicking off. The snow leopard stumbled backward, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

Alf ran forward, pulling out a small firework and igniting it. Just before the fuse could reach, he threw it as hard as he could - squarely at Tai Lung.

Yet the _boom_ never came.

Alf watched in horror, as Tai Lung spiraled cleanly out of the firework's path before landing on the ground - running on all fours at Alf.

He knew nothing could have been done.

 _BOOSH._

Alf felt like a building had just collapsed on his chest. Tai Lung's fist went straight into his chest - hard enough to nearly blow out Alf's back, making the Seeker cough out fresh blood - but the "push" wasn't there, as if Tai Lung had chosen to deliberately focus all of his energy on the fist, rather than pushing Alf away.

Tai Lung removed his paw, watching Alf fall to his knees.

The snow leopard shoved him to the ground, mounting him with a demented expression.

 _KRACK._

The first punch instantly shattered Alf's cheekbone. A large gash was left.

 _KKRICK._

The second punch nearly knocked Alf into unconsciousness immediately. His vision was hazy.

 _BAM._

The third punch came later than the others.

Which turned out to be a bad sign.

Tai Lung's fist had crushed Alf's skull into the grassland, causing small spurts of weeds and blades of vegetation to come up.

Alf whimpered, seeing three images of Tai Lung in front of him. It took a few seconds to focus them into one.

 _Kill him now, boy._

 _Get the collar._

A roar.

Tigress had launched herself at Tai Lung once more, who instantly jutted his elbow out behind, smashing into Tigress' nose with a repulsive _crunch._

Tigress fell to the floor.

"Goodbye, _fleshling_ …" Tai Lung whispered, placing his paws firmly around Alf's skull, squeezing inward.

The pressure was intense. Alf's ears began giving out.

 _CRUNCH_.

Alf didn't feel any pain. It almost felt like a light-hearted feeling. As if he was going somewhere else now.

Somewhere more peaceful.

He caught a glimpse of Po out of the corner of his eye.

The panda met his gaze.

"Together…" he whispered.

Alf's mouth shook, feeling the inside of his head just begin to cave in. He nodded back gently at Po.

"Al - Always…" Alf breathed out, making peace with it.

He had tried.

Alf closed his eyes, ready.

 _THUD._

Alf almost expected to feel Tai Lung's paws finally break through at the sound, but it didn't feel like muscle breaking through bone - it oddly felt softer.

Much softer.

Like - like a dumpling ramming against fur.

Alf opened his eyes.

Tai Lung was off him, clutching at his head in annoyance. Alf turned to see the source of the sound.

Yu stood alone, her bag in hand with a tired expression.

Tigress groaned and brought herself to her feet, staring at Tai Lung's momentarily downed body. Shifu egged Po upwards, calling the rest of the Five to try to get up somehow. Alf kept his gaze on the bag, complete confused.

Yu gave him a look.

A very specific look.

"You came," Alf simply wheezed.

Yu shrugged her shoulders. "What the hell, right?"

Tai Lung growled, ramming into the small fox.

Alf's insides jolted. Tai Lung immediately brought her down to the ground, beginning a savage series of punches that Yu wasn't even responding to. The fox's face merely went from left to right, unbruised to bruised, face progressively becoming more purple with every punch.

"That's enough," Alf begged, seeing the fox's arms lay limply near the bag.

Tai lung intensified the punches. Spurts of grass went flying.

"Enough…"

 _THUD. KRICK. BASH._

"Enough…"

Yu's head was forcibly punched to face Alf, one of the eyes swollen. She flashed him a small smile.

 _THUD._

"ENOUGH!"

Something.

It felt like fire.

Like an intense - angry sensation.

Alf sprung to his feet, sprinting at Tai Lung. The snow leopard just grinned, moving a light forearm to block while cocking back his next arm for the counterpunch.

Yet it never came.

Alf didn't know what he was doing, but trusted whatever had just taken control. His right arm lunged at Tai Lung.

The snow leopard's forearm broke in two.

The bone bent inward.

Tai Lung tried to squeal, but Alf's fist cleanly pushed past the forearm to connect with his face.

 _BOOM._

It sounded like a firework.

It felt like an explosion.

Tai Lung soared away, tumbling for twenty feet in the grass before coming to a grinding halt at the edge of the Pool.

Alf ran to Yu's side, watching her get up. The fox' head swiveled idly.

"Yu, Yu, Yu!" Alf implored, clutching her limp frame. "Please - please wake up…"

"E - E " came the weak response. "E - E - "

"What is it?" Alf begged. "End? It can't be the end, I won't let you - "

"E - _Emotional_ \- _bitch_ ," Yu let out.

Alf smiled.

"I am done with this."

Alf gasped, seeing Tai Lung rapidly come behind him.

 _KRACK._

The kick was harsh, as per usual. Alf rolled away and into the Pool - feeling fresh water soak his clothing and hair.

He pushed himself to the surface, coughing out a mixture of blood and water.

"So - so much for the Pool of _Sacred_ Tears," Alf noted.

"I'M SICK OF THIS VALLEY!" Tai Lung roared, approaching Alf with an enraged expression - eyes red and bulging. "I'M SICK OF OOGWAY! I'M SICK OF THE SURPRISES! I'M SICK OF THE METAPHORS! HERE'S A NEW METAPHOR - TAI - LUNG - ALWAYS - WINS!"

Alf didn't feel the same angry sensation anymore - that fiery feeling was gone. He couldn't summon it anymore.

He was too weak to respond. The Five were downed and motionless. Shifu watched the snow leopard with horror. Po was passed out - face down on the ground.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE DRAGON WARRIOR!" Tai Lung went on, fangs and claws fully extended. "IT'LL SHOCK YOU ALL - THAT SOMEONE CAN BE SOMETHING - WITHOUT ANY STUPID PROPHECY!"

 _Shock_.

Alf felt like face-palming.

 _Duh_ , he noted internally. _Why do I always get these ideas as the last friggin' minute_?

"YU!" Alf called out desperately. "When I say now - PUSH THE BUTTON!"

"What?!" Yu returned, just beginning to get into an upright, sitting position.

"EVERYTHING IN THIS DAMN VALLEY… JUST NOTHING… NO ONE EVER RESPECTED ME!"

"Yu - listen to me, as soon as - "

"You'll die!"

"I'LL KILL YOU - FLESHLING!"

Alf felt a set of claws wedge themselves in between his ribs. A dull, piercing pain. He turned his head up, looking past Tai Lung and at Yu.

He begged her with his eyes.

"NOW!" Alf roared.

Yu hesitated. Alf groaned.

But Tigress didn't.

In a second, she had snatched the button out of Yu's bag.

Alf nodded, despite the pain. He pulled Tai Lung deeper into the pool.

Tigress pressed the button.

 _CRACKLE. CRACKLE. CRACKLE. CRACKLE. CRACKLE._

Pain. More pain than he had ever felt in his life - including the last few weeks.

Tai Lung was frozen to him, unable to remove himself from Alf's electricity-conducting body. The snow leopard shook.

Although Alf didn't understand how, the water was making it worse. It almost seemed to amplify the amount of shock, pulsing through both of their injured, bleeding bodies.

"Don't - don't stop…" Alf let out, vision of the outside world gradually fading.

Tai Lung was shaking, blood already starting to flow from his lips.

 _Never mind - the beacon has emitted enough of a signal now._

 _I don't need you anymore._

And Tai Lung - for the first time since he had met the spirit - begged for help.

"Please - " Tai Lung pleaded, shock tearing through his body. " - help me…"

 _Die now, boy._

 _You have fulfilled your purpose to me._

Alf shook hard but didn't allow Tai Lung to push away from him. He lost consciousness.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _One LOOOOONG scene. A ridiculous amount of graphic fighting. A finale that hopefully everyone's loving so far. Boy oh boy…_

 _I don't have much to say. I wanna start KFP2. KFP1 is gonna end soon. Wow have we come a long way._

 _Support is so unfathomable that I should just shut up talking about it._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Expect frequent updates until I finish KFP1. After that a brief break - (really just a few days, lol) - then we can jump into the next arc. Hehe..._


	16. KFP 1:16

" **Post-Storm"**

* * *

For a time - everything seemed gone. Alf opened his eyes.

Dark moonlight began slowly wading into his vision. In the very top of his viewpoint, the crescent moon gently shone strong and bright - while a plethora of twinkling stars danced idly by the entire sky. A gentle breeze swished by Alf's ears, eliciting a mild shudder.

Shuddering gave way to shivering. After a moment of peaceful bliss, Alf felt a cold sensation begin to take root in his body - the clothing was stuck, and still wet from the Pool's water. He wasn't drifting in the Pool however - his back was making contact with hard grassland. His neck burned, forcing him to actively wince every few seconds or so.

Alf's fingers gently wedged itself in between the collar and his neck - feeling the burnt, twisted flesh underneath. Although he had no idea how it looked, it felt like running his hand over moldy, dried up dumplings - there was some sort of singed quality to his skin now, and Alf wondered if the feeling would be permanent or not.

"Po! He's awake!"

Alf completely forgot that Yu's face suddenly appeared in front of him.

The wide panda made his way to the Seeker's side immediately, gently bending him upward to rest Alf on a nearby boulder.

"Augh - easy big guy," Alf noted, smarting from the pain. "Wh - Where's Tai Lung?"

Po moved, massive frame blocking Alf's vision.

The boy saw a small crowd off in the distance, near the Sacred Pool of Tears. The Five had gathered around Shifu, who sat silently near a single, motionless snow leopard.

Alf couldn't recognize their expressions. "Is - is he - "

"Dead," Yu noted. "Gone."

Alf shook his head. "No no no - he can't be. I mean - if _I'm_ not…"

Po shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno man. You and Tai Lung were in the Pool for a long time."

"You should have seen it," Yu remarked, ignoring the obvious irony of this statement. "Blue flashes everywhere. The whole Pool was sparkling. It felt like - like the entire Valley was having a fireworks show."

"Sure as hell felt like one," Alf agreed, clutching the swollen side of his face with another cringe. "So that's it? He just - died? And you guys somehow pulled me out alive?"

"Not exactly," Po emphasized, kneeling down to Alf's eye-level. "As soon as both of you stopped moving, Yu sorta - well - stuck her hand in to try and pull you out."

Yu smiled. "Gave me the worst damn feeling I've ever had in my life."

"And I grabbed _her_ ," Po denoted. "Turns out - you can sort of channel the _shock_ \- sort of. Or at least distribute it somehow."

"Tigress came in at the tail end," Yu finished. "Pulled us all out."

Alf sighed. "I still should have died."

"Dude, you didn't, and that's all that matters," Yu forced, grasping Alf's bruised face with kindness. "Just add it to the list of things you promised me to _research_ about. Into your past and stuff… along with that cool, randomly powerful punch that sent Tai Lung flying..."

"You agree to look into yours?" Alf asked, wry smile forming.

Yu grinned, playfully shoving Alf's head away before standing up. She took a moment to stare at him, taking in the amount of bruises he had, the fatigue he was so obviously transparent about, and the world-weary sense of relief that he was sporting.

She enjoyed all of it.

"You did good, Alf," the fox whispered. "Real good."

Alf turned to Po. The panda smiled at him with the widest of grins.

"You were okay with dying?" he asked Alf, eyebrows raised.

Alf took a moment, trying to explain to Po exactly how much he meant to him.

"Not for the Valley," Alf stated simply. "For you? Hell yeah."

Po smiled. "There ain't nobody in the _world_ \- that can get _beat up_ like you can!"

Alf chuckled lightly. "Story of my life I guess…"

The Five had ceased rounding about Shifu, after Yu had made her way over there. Most of the Five masters and caterer approached Alf and Po, carefully moving with very deliberate motions. Shifu and Tigress followed a few seconds afterwards, leaving Tai Lung's body on the ground.

Instantly, Alf felt out of place - the Five didn't have the same hateful, confused, or even apathetic looks towards him anymore.

Mantis was grinning broadly. Viper looked genuinely concerned. Crane gave a gentle, reassuring wink. Monkey instantly tapped Alf on the right shoulder (albeit an injured shoulder) - quickly apologizing before giving a smile back.

"Alfalfa," Viper broke in. "That's your name, right?"

Alf was so taken aback at hearing his name instead of _Seeker, fleshling,_ or _Scum of the Valley_ that he looked straight ahead - as if she was referring to someone else.

"Hmm? Oh - right - um, that's me," Alf whispered back stupidly. "Hey everyone…"

"Alfina?" Tigress broke in, making her way over to the rest of the Five. "Did I hear that right?"

Alf chuckled again. "Ha - no - I said Alfalfa. Sorry - voice a little sore…"

" _Alfalfa_? Like - the crop?" Tigress responded, eyebrows raised. "Hmm. I think I like _Alfina_ more."

Alf chuckled again.

"You know, because Seekers don't have fur," Tigress emphasized. "People say it sort of makes you look somewhat - _feminine_."

Alf narrowed his eyes, trying to read Tigress' face. It was far from the most rude, hurtful, or even just ignorant Seeker joke she could have made, but the attitude behind it put Alf at east. It wasn't a hateful and condescending tone, or even an annoyed one - it felt organic and natural - even a tiny bit playful.

 _Playful_ , Alf thought. _What the hell did I just call Master Tigress?_

This suspicion was confirmed shortly thereafter. Tigress closed her eyes and put her gaze to the ground, full blown smile now emerging.

"Thanks for everything, Alf," Mantis spoke up, leaping atop Po's shoulders. "Seriously."

"And all this time - I had you pegged to like - _gut_ us in our sleep or something," Crane let out with a sigh, smile still radiant. "Maybe poison our food."

"Don't need my help for that," Alf retorted. "Anybody taste Po's breakfasts?"

An ensuing circle of laughter. Yu grinned broadly at Alf, while Po took center stage to try and defend his breakfast quality as the Five looked on with smiles.

Something about this moment felt different to Alf. He didn't have the feeling of hiding, or running away from the public anymore - it felt as if something very special had finally been broken, as if a long-running gag in his life had finally ended. This was Alf's first time - perhaps in his entire life - that was spent sitting around with other people besides Po, with genuine interactions, with everyone relaxed and comfortable - grateful to have finally gotten over something thought to be unconquerable.

"Seeker."

The laughter stopped immediately. Alf, Po, the Five, and Yu turned their heads in unison to look at Shifu.

Alf noted the reluctance to use his name - and also noted that out of everyone present - Shifu was the only one who kept a stern gaze on him.

The same look he gave Alf when they first met.

"Thank you, for coming back," Shifu forced, words so reluctant and jagged that Alf felt uncomfortable hearing them. "I - I want to offer you something."

Alf's eyes went wide open. Po looked at Yu with a perplexed expression. The Five stared more intently at Shifu - confused.

"In return for your services here tonight, I'd like to offer you a reserved bed and food at the Jade Palace," Shifu started. "And if you wish, training in - _kung fu_."

Po was the first to react, crushing Alf to his broad chest like a lunatic once more.

"YEEEEESSS!" Po screamed in Alf's ear. "THE DRAGON WARRIOR AND THE SEEKER OF THE - UM - VALLEY! FIGHTING EVIL WITH THE - "

"Po, you're crushing Allison," Tigress sighed. "Her lungs can hardly breathe."

Po let go of Alf at once, watching him crash to the ground. Alf stood up uneasily, staring at Tigress with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought it was _Alfina_ …" Alf questioned, coughing out dust. "This isn't going to be a _thing_ , right? The whole - girl's names thing?"

"Oh, _definitely_ not," Tigress smirked, eyes flashing maliciously orange. "Don't you worry about it."

Alf sighed. "You gonna apologize for what happened the past few weeks? Shocking me? Choking me? Thinking I killed Oogway?"

Tigress - confident smirk intact - moved closer to Alf, significantly taller than him. "Don't push your luck."

Alf grinned.

"Seeker - I need you to do something in return."

Shifu's voice had come back. Alf turned to him, nodded his head, and waited for the red panda to continue.

"The world right now has an understandably - _conflicted_ view of Seekers," Shifu began, as the rest of the group nodded. "It would be - unwise to mention your involvement here."

"What?" Po let out at once. "But Master, he - "

"I understand," Alf cut across immediately. "I don't want a lot of public eye on me either."

"More than that," Shifu went on, words coming out slower and slower. "It may be wise to - perhaps - implicate your involvement in aiding Tai Lung's - release."

This brought a complete stop to the whole conversation.

The Five stared at Shifu with genuine discomfort. Po widened his ears as Yu almost managed to respond back with something, then chose to suppress it.

Alf shook his head in surprise. "You - you're gonna make it look like - _I_ broke him out of Chorh-Gom?"

"You're _already_ despised in the Valley, Seeker," Shifu noted, voice growing stronger. "Adding this minor _twist_ to the story won't harm your _reputation_. And imagine how it would look if we told the world the truth - "

Shifu moved closer to Alf, pacing furiously. "- That the guards failed to keep Tai Lung under control, that the Jade Palace failed to defeat him, and that he managed to kill at least fifty villagers in the Valley before he was stopped!"

"It would look like the truth!" Mantis interrupted, confused.

"We can't do this to Alf, Master Shifu…"

"Master, we can't - "

"Isn't good kung fu also about being honest?"

"Master - "

"Master - "

The Five began arguing, while Po and Yu looked at each other nervously. Alf kept his stare hard at Shifu, completely thrown aback but in the same manner completely unsurprised.

Even when they had first met, the only Master with a truly negative, completely hateful reaction had been Shifu. Since Alf had moved into the Palace alongside Po, Shifu had tried to hurt or beat him every step of the way. If it weren't for Po and Yu - and occasionally, even Tigress - Shifu would have maimed, injured, or at least hurt Alf significantly.

He should have seen something like this coming a mile away. Alf wondered what about Seekers had predisposed Shifu to loathe them - others in the Valley merely regurgitated what their parents had said, but Alf had rarely met someone so confident in their brazen dislike for what Alf was.

A question for another day.

"ENOUGH! SILENCE!"

The Five stopped, staring at the device in Shifu's hands. Po and Yu took a few steps back.

Alf eyed the red button with disgust.

After all this time.

After all the blood.

Things had changed - but in another manner - some things never changed.

Alf didn't bother to put his fingers up to the collar. "Wow…"

"Master," Tigress broke in. "You cannot - "

A lethal stare from Shifu quieted her immediately.

Alf snorted. "I can't believe you - _Master_."

Shifu shook his head, trying to reorganize his words. "I - I'm sorry, I - I wasn't thinking straight."

The old master shoved the button inside his pocket once more, gently bowing to Alf in apology.

"I just want to preserve the peace, that's all," Shifu noted. "Keep China's politics stable."

"Keep the lie going," Alf denoted. "Seekers are scum. That won't be tough to sell at all…"

Shifu paused, looking at everyone's slightly uncomfortable expressions. "For the good of the Valley. For kung fu. For the world."

The Five looked down at the ground, afraid to react to Shifu. Po felt on the verge of screaming. Yu looked at Alf, eager to hear a response.

"Can you promise that you'll get this collar off?" Alf asked, ignoring Po's protest.

"I - I - we can discuss that later," Shifu emphasized. "Since the Grand Council discovered that there was a Seeker living in the Valley - they - they would like to keep a method of controlling such a - "

"He's not a freak!" Yu interrupted, voice enraged. "He's just a kid!"

"He's already going to tell the Valley his little lie," Alf finished. "And nothing anyone will say - can change that. Right, _Master_?"

The Five looked at Shifu, who nodded his head.

"Some truths are better left - _unsaid,_ " Shifu delineated. "I - I realize this is an - unwanted _outcome_. But I haven't forgotten what you've done for us! I just - I'm giving you an actual home - just help me keep the peace, that's all."

Shifu paused, satisfied that no one was arguing yet. "Po - as Dragon Warrior - and the Five - they'll be much easier for the Valley to digest as their - heroes."

Some ensuing protests, but Shifu shut them down quickly.

" - Which is the truth!" Shifu noted. "Not the complete truth - but enough."

Alf smiled sadly, shaking his head. Slowly that hopeful feeling was going away, replaced by the same cynical realism that had gotten him this far in life.

" _Enough_ of the truth," Alf repeated, huffing. "Guess I don't really have much of a choice then, hmm? Considering you're gonna say your story anyway - it's either get hated everyday, with no bed and food - or get hated everyday, but _with_ bed and food."

Shifu just remained quiet at this.

Alf turned away, closing his eyes. "See ya later guys. I'm sure some guards are already on their way here."

Yu sniffled, watching Alf hobble away - into the darkness and down the stony path leading back to the Palace - on his one good leg. He turned around, flashing a last look at the group.

The Five didn't dare look at him, although it was obvious that they were sympathetic to what was happening. Po wrapped an arm around Yu, who was shaking with rage.

Alf stared hard at Shifu. "I'll accept."

Shifu breathed a huge sigh of relief. Alf shook his head however, wanting to continue.

"But," Alf iterated, voice growing dangerously low. "What happens the day that I say it's too much? That playing the bad guy is - getting _old_?"

Shifu merely shrugged his shoulders. "We will deal with that as it comes."

Alf snorted, making his way down the mountain.

Po and Yu watched the boy disappear into thick black fog. They seemed to want to exchange sympathetic glances at the Five, but they were busy looking at Shifu for any semblance of fairness - the same fairness that they had respected for so long in the old master.

Yet Shifu wasn't there, already back to Tai Lung's side - kneeling by the corpse.

"We never got a chance to thank you," Mantis noted. "Master Po."

"Oh man - _Master Po_ … " Po let out, suddenly reminding himself of something.

" _Dad_ ," Po recalled. "I gotta find him!"

"Uh - Po," Tigress interrupted, pulling the panda back from moving away from the group. "We need to tell you something."

Po winked, bowing his head in false modesty. "Yeah yeah I'm the best of all time - it can wait Ti! I gotta find my dad!"

" _Ti_?" Tigress reiterated, shaking her head before remembering what she was trying to do. "Ugh - Po, it's - it's about your dad."

Po stopped moving. He looked at Tigress as she placed both paws on his shoulders.

" _Tigress_ \- I mean, I knew I was charming but - "

Tigress sighed, lowering her gaze. And Po - as much as he wanted to make another joke - suddenly felt an inclination to stay quiet.

 **. . .**

In a land much farther away from the Valley, much farther away from the provinces of China, much farther away from the continent of Asia, laying well beyond the reaches of the world, the skies, the people, and anything that ever existed - there was a room.

This room was exactly where one would want it to be. It was crystalline and pure, completely opaque, colored with white walls and a single brown door. The floor was made out a splendid mahogany, floorboards perfectly spaced and tightly constructed.

A snow leopard tumbled in, gasping for air.

"YOU WILL NEVER - eh - what?" Tai Lung stopped, looking around.

Standing at the far edge of the room, a large figure stood alone. The figure was covered in a long black trench coat. There were no distinguishing features to separate the body from the trench coat - and atop - a small, featureless head stuck out with no nose, eyes, mouth, or any facial features.

"What - what is _this_? Where am I?" Tai Lung asked, watching the figure stare at him with zero responsiveness.

"The subject has woken up," came a monotonous, blank voice. "Signal transmission rate: 50%. Rough nebula and galaxy cluster pinpointed. Need further information on solar system and galaxy of origin."

" _What_?" Tai Lung iterated, completely off-balance.

"I am not talking to _you_ , subject," the figure responded with perfect clarity. "Approximate position noted. Distance to travel - six local stellar cycles. Evolutionary status of local life: very low. Priority danger level: none. Probability of successful colonization: 99.9971%."

Tai Lung approached the figure, swinging forward.

His paw went straight through the form.

Tai Lung spun to his side, throwing a leg through the figure.

The leg made no contact.

"What - WHERE AM I?" Tai lung roared. "ANSWER ME!"

 _Sit down, boy_.

Tai Lung's body was forced down, chair rising up from the floor to meet him.

"What - what the - LET ME GO!" Tai Lung screamed.

His arms would not move. Tai Lung's legs hung loosely around the chair legs. He tried to contort his body, trying to get a better glimpse of the figure.

"Do you understand me now, boy?" the figure stated, another chair rising up to meet it as well. The form took a seat next to Tai Lung.

Tai Lung shivered, feeling a cold upwelling surge in his chest. "I - I don't know what's happening…"

"Subject's mind appears to be unstable, consciousness integrity severely compromised," the figure noted privately. "Information must be extracted quickly."

Tai Lung turned his gaze to the ground. "I - I recognize the voice now. You - you're the spirit."

"I am _not_ a spirit," the form continued. "I communicated with you via telepathic linking connection, repurposing your planet's local gamma ray infrastructure to convey deep thoughts - mimicking - _speech_."

Tai Lung whimpered, feeling coldness resurge. "I - I am tired of your games - spirit. Am - am I dead, or not?"

"Not yet," the form denoted. "But you will be. We managed to intercept your consciousness before it was returned to the quantum void."

Tai Lung growled. "I - I am done - playing along with - whatever _this_ is, spirit! Or whatever you are!"

"Your consciousness is visualizing my present form," the figure corrected. "Your subconscious assumed my size and mysteriousness, hence my large frame and trench coat. Yet you lack auxiliary details - hearing just a manifestation of my voice - so on the contrary, this is not my true form."

"I don't care," Tai Lung spat. "Just - let me die in peace."

Tai Lung sniffled. After twenty years of searching, the Dragon Scroll had turned out to be useless. After twenty years, Shifu had turned out to betray him. After twenty years, Oogway had still found a way to manipulate them all.

After twenty years - he was still in the exact same situation as he had always been.

Unappreciated. Alone.

He was done.

"Not yet," the form noted, thrusting a large needle into Tai Lung's forearm.

The snow leopard yelped in pain. "AH! WHAT - "

"Describe the Seeker you encountered," the form noted. "Give physical details."

"AHHH!" Tai Lung screamed, pain flooding through him like never before. "YOUNG - HE WAS YOUNG! A BOY! SORT OF SMALL - I - ARGH!"

"Blood type?" the form questioned. "Mesomorphy level? Access to weapons? Political views? Myers-Briggs personality type?"

The cluster of phrases utterly sounded like nonsense to Tai Lung. "Myers-Briggs - _what?_ LEAVE ME, PLEASE!"

"Subject level at critical failure," the form stated. "Adequate information processed. Termination started."

"AHHH!" Tai Lung screamed.

The form watched as a blue liquid flew through the gentle needle tip and into Tai Lung's veins. The snow leopard seized in rapid convulsions, shaking uncontrollably before bits of his flesh and face began evaporating.

The screaming got him nowhere. The flesh melted and evaporated, gently morphing into chunks, then pieces, then particles.

Within a few moments, the particles vanished.

The form stood up, walking to the brown door. It opened the lock gently.

"Subject terminated permanently. Proceeding with travel to location. We must succeed - no matter the costs."

The figure closed the door, leaving the room.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yep, so all of that just happened…_

 _I don't have much to say, again. The next chapter will be the last one in KFP 1 - after that, we're gonna start KFP 2! YAY!_

 **Mike:** _H_ _ey Bob, how's the level of support going?_

 **Bob:** Funny _you should ask - it's been overwhelming!_

 _~TW_


	17. KFP 1:17 (Act Finale)

" **A New Routine"**

* * *

Po's father - Mr. Ping - had perished.

Although Alf didn't realize it - mainly because he had spent the past few weeks hiding by the rock Yu had shown him, well outside the Valley - the goose was implicated to have died by Tai Lung's hands, via strangulation. From what Alf could discern, from stealing bits of news scrolls and covertly spying on guard investigations - as soon as the snow leopard had arrived in the Valley, the closest structure to him was Mr. Ping's noodle shop. This left the talkative goose directly in the master's path. Guards had apparently found several purple markings near the goose's throat, confirming suspicions of how Mr. Ping had passed.

Po had not taken it too well. Considering that a public notice was put out for Alf's live capture, the Seeker found it incredibly hard to go back to the Palace and comfort Po - ironically the one place where Alf was not in danger - and get more details. From discrete conversations with Yu - again, by that secretive rock - Po had apparently sprinted through the five stages of grief. In a saddening twist, the panda was not able to fully realize any of the stages.

It was impossible to deny it, so Po skipped that stage.

The panda could not be angry anymore, considering that the cause behind it was dead.

There was no bargaining to be had, considering how irreversible death was.

And Po was currently in a depression. Publicly, it only taken him a few days to accept it, organize Mr. Ping's small funeral (which Alf spied on, hiding well away in a tall tree branch), and make his last words - but Alf wondered whether it was possible for Po to truly reach acceptance.

The Seeker himself didn't have too many positive experiences with Mr. Ping. Most of their interactions ended with pots being thrown or the guards being called to _get that scummy fleshie_ \- but in an awkward sense, Alf had found the diminutive, non-threatening goose endearing. Most importantly, Mr. Ping seemed to have Po's best interests at heart - something that even Alf could not attest to doing, _all_ the time.

So despite the obvious rhino lookout patrols scouring the streets for him, the constant guard presence inside the Jade Palace, Alf had - today at least - elected to respond to Shifu's call.

Technically, he was coming to the Palace to see his new bed, and have his first real meal.

Actually, Alf wanted to see Po.

Alf had managed to outsmart the patrols. They were positioned more heavily at night, perhaps thinking that Alf would try to break in under the stealthy, misty night of darkness, ignoring the midday times - after all, what kind of public enemy would break into the most heavily secured area in the Valley - at noon?

Alf would.

He gently tiptoed on the Palace Courtyard walls, watching a grand total of just _two_ rhino guards patrol the perimeter - completely unaware of Alf's presence.

He jumped gently downwards, feet making contact with the hard, stony path that was leading to the dormitories.

Alf smiled, noon sunlight fully hitting him - bright, strong, and utterly uncompromised.

He noted that most of the Palace had been rebuilt - or at least, the areas damaged from Tai Lung's rage. Palace walls were revitalized with help from Zeng and local pig workers, while the exterior Courtyard flooring was currently being given a brand new, fresh set of layering.

Alf turned his vision up to the bright dormitories flicking ahead, all rooms dark.

He sighed, knowing that Shifu had told to meet him there. The Seeker made his way slowly up the stone steps, admiring the natural fauna around him - never before appreciated - small bamboo trees, piles of boulders, a thick overcoat of grassy land, and the usual aesthetic quality that the Jade Palace was associated with.

Alf didn't understand what exactly to make of the situation. On one hand, Shifu had been unbearably demanding - forcing Alf to make peace with the fact that he would be vilified in the villagers' eyes, avoid all public contact with any members of the Jade Palace, and overall suppress any information regarding the actual events leading up to Tai Lung's defeat.

Yet after a few weeks of hiding and introspection, Alf had begun to understand the precarious situation Shifu was in. The massive deaths and body count caused by Tai Lung's unexpected return to the Valley (technically connected to the Five, but Shifu had again left that out of his public story), combined with the collapse and destructuring of Chorh-Gom prison, left the Jade Palace in the unusual situation of explaining a series of events that seemed every bit related to incompetence.

So - in theory - tying the most hated person in the Valley to a sequence of tragic, vile, and despicable actions - was quite smart. And Shifu had thrown in a bed and free food! And kung fu training!

Yet Alf felt uneasy. There had been something that night - something in the cold detachment that Shifu had seen him with, something about the casual acceptance that concealing the truth was okay, something very dark and personal to Shifu - all of it made Alf question what he was getting himself into.

But he put that aside, already at the only, single-doored entrance to the dormitories. In truth, it didn't matter what he thought of the situation now - only thing that mattered now, was how Alf chose to react to it.

The brown lock clicked, and the wood swung open with a slight twist. Master Shifu appeared, limp fixed and injuries mostly healed.

"Thank you for coming, Seeker," Shifu noted. "Come inside. I'll show you to your room."

"Thanks," Alf returned, stepping into the wood paneling with a flourish. Shifu closed the door behind him. "How's the Valley looking? Stability-wise?"

Shifu's whiskers twitched, choosing not to show his face to Alf as he lead him down the narrow hallway leading to the dormitories. "Workable. Most of them still have their doubts about what happened, but everyone seems confident in the capabilities of the Jade Palace once more…"

Alf sighed. "That's good."

Shifu picked up his pace. "And, forgive the question - but what exactly was that _punch_ all about?"

It took a few moments for Alf to understand what Shifu was referring to.

 _That_ punch. The sudden burst of enraged energy, the feeling of absolute hatred surging through Alf - culminating in a punch that sent Tai Lung flying away from Yu.

"I - I don't know," Alf responded honestly. "Anything the _legends_ say about Seekers being able to do that?"

"Hmph," Shifu grumbled. "Legends are usually helpful when it comes to these things - but very little information comes up when dealing with Seeker history…"

"Yeah," Alf noted. "That seems to be everybody's response to it…"

"You're not thinking of delving further into the history, are you?" Shifu queried suddenly, voice high and tense. "Leave it alone. Some knowledge is better left unknown."

This seemed remarkably similar to the previous conversation that Alf had with Shifu, with the exact same philosophy.

And it pissed him off.

"No," Alf firmly lied. "No plans to investigate. Gonna keep what's in the past - in the past."

"Good," Shifu agreed. "Here we are."

Alf stopped, confused at what he was supposed to be looking at. They had already crossed all the dormitories, and from all indications - there hadn't been any extra rooms built. Shifu pointed to a small trap door hidden underneath a cupboard, swinging it open to reveal a flight of stairs leading downward.

"Follow me," the old master quietly commanded.

Alf followed Shifu down the stairs. It was leading well down, way below the foundation of the Palace - Alf would have gauged it to be at least fifty or sixty steps of very steep, very misshapen movements downward. Light was growing fainter and fainter by the moment, with the steps beginning to chip away with every foot Alf placed on them.

Finally, Alf reached level ground and complete darkness. He heard Shifu's voice somewhere, along with the characteristic fumbling sound of the master reaching for a flint.

"Just - give me a moment…"

 _Skrit._

A burst of small light.

Alf's eyes closed slightly to readjust to the new ambient light, watching Shifu hold a small torch away from him to illustrate the whole room.

Alf fought the urge to vomit.

The flooring of the "room" was not made out of stony layering, let alone bamboo like the rest of the dormitories. There was raw dirt everywhere.

Actual dirt.

Walls were a slight step up - with stones, or really just chunks of boulders - mashed together and placed at an angle to each other, jutting out at weird positions. The boulders had vast patches of moss stuck to their sides, with a plethora of random insects crawling around the entire space.

But the ceiling was truly the most bizarre of of them all - raw bamboo pipes, spun together around heavy rocks - almost like some sort of drainage system.

"I - I apologize for offering you this," Shifu interrupted. "But - the Palace has a lot of visitors, and _will_ have more now, especially knowing that Tai Lung was here. And - well - "

"You can't afford to be seen housing a Seeker," Alf finished, gritting his teeth. "Especially _this_ Seeker."

"Yes - yes," Shifu agreed, turning to face the room like Alf. "This isn't technically supposed to be a room - erm - this is just the space underneath the drainage pipes - where excess runoff, the Valley's waste, and the Palace's - well, garbage - flows through."

Alf stood silently. The room didn't have any furnishings as well, let alone a bed.

"I - I'm sorry I can't do better," Shifu emphasized, ignoring how unconvincing this sounded to Alf. "Just be careful with the ceiling - it can leak from time to time."

The Seeker snorted. "Well - at least now I'll know what everyone's been eating every day…"

And just from the corner of his eye, although Alf might have hallucinated it, given how dark the environment was - Shifu's mouth curved gently into a half-smile, eyes flickering in the torch light as he subsequently restrained himself.

"Right - well - I should be getting back to the graveyard," Shifu noted, handing the torch off to Alf. "I have to go see my so - erm - Tai Lung. Make sure all the preparations are done…"

And for the first time, Alf felt a bit of sympathy for the old Master. He noted how slow and prolonged Shifu's steps were, just forcing the master up the stone steps leading out of the room.

"Master Shifu," Alf called out, as the red panda stopped midway. "I'm sorry. About your son."

Alf could only see Shifu's back. After a few seconds of silence, Shifu turned his head around half-heartedly, nodding gently before proceeding back up the steps.

"Your training starts tomorrow," Shifu's voice called out. "Be ready before dawn."

With that, Shifu's footsteps receded into silence.

Alf went back to admiring his new room. He kicked away a few insects that clambered onto his pant legs, wondering who he would have to beg to get himself an extra cot - or perhaps even, a small broom. Alf had laid down on dirt before, and it was surprisingly comfortable - it was just the insects that ended up being the problem. The wall's moss were perhaps impossible to remove, and the ceiling - considering that it literally constituted a part of the entire Valley itself - was untouchable.

Alf wondered where the entire system would empty to. The ocean? Were there even any oceans near China?

Why did no one in the Valley bothered to leave, go out and explore - or even plan stuff?

"Ah - there you are Alice."

Alf rotated his head. In the dim torch light, he could see Master Tigress confidently making her way down the steps, paws loose and relaxed as her nose twitched in deep revulsion. Her injuries had gotten better too, with only one or two purple splotches just off the right side of cheek - and Alf had guessed that the rib injuries and knee fracture had healed by now.

"By the Scrolls - what is that _smell_?" Tigress asked, nose still twitching.

"My room," Alf answered simply. "You planning to drop the girl names anytime soon?"

"You planning to suddenly grow fur and get taller?" Tigress countered, smirk back.

Alf sighed, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of this argument.

"Come upstairs," Tigress demanded. "Po's making lunch."

A lighthearted appeal. Alf smiled, putting out the torch as he followed Tigress up the steps leading out of the room.

He wondered what questions were still left unanswered by the villagers. From what it seemed to Alf, most of the Valley had no interest in participating in global affairs, learning about the world, or even finding anything new outside of their own lives. It sort of explained why asking questions concerning the Seekers were fundamentally wrong - it wasn't that history didn't exist: it was that for Alf's questions, the Valley would be useless to answer them.

That made Alf's mission harder, but not impossible. He would just have to find the answers somewhere else.

He _had_ to.

"So - are you and the fox a _thing_?" Tigress asked.

Alf stuttered, surprised to hear her break the silence - and also satisfied to have his face behind hers, out of her vision.

"Uh - what?" Alf replied back. " _A thing_? Whaddya mean - like _a thing_? Like are we _things_? Yeah - I mean we're all _things_ by nature - I mean - "

"You're blushing," Tigress promptly deduced. "I can sense it."

"What - no I'm not!" Alf quickly defended, wondering which of her highly-tuned senses had detected it. "How is that even possible? I mean - I get you're super trained and all but - "

They had reached the top of the stairs. Tigress and Alf made their way past the trap door, as Alf kicked it shut behind him.

Tigress promptly swiveled around to face him, noon sun now illuminating every feature on Alf's face.

" _No_ , we're not - like - _together_ together," Alf emphasized, feeling the sense of red flushing gather in his cheeks. "I mean - we're together as friends, not as - well, not _together_ , more like enjoy the intimacy of - wait no! I mean enjoy the company of well - yanno - together."

Alf wanted to shove his head into the nearest bamboo pillar. Tigress kept an amused stare at him, eyebrows slightly raised.

"Girls…" Tigress noted, walking away from Alf and in the direction of the Jade Palace dining area. "... so overdramatic…"

Alf sighed.

He followed Tigress down a narrow hallway, turning with her as she lead them both into a large dining area.

Alf had very seldom seen it before - and he had much less been allowed to stand in it.

The space was small but homely. The walls were coated with cupboards, cooking utensils, and a variety of cutlery. Bags of ingredients were stuffed around the entire space, while the ceiling had a large chandelier of torches hanging down gently. In the very middle of the room, there was a table seating the Five - Monkey and Crane were talking with each other, Viper was drawing something, and Tigress sat down at the far edge.

Mantis pushed a seat away from the table. "Alf! Sit down bro!"

"In a minute," Alf noted.

Mantis merely shrugged his shoulders, but had failed to notice what Alf was focusing on - a large black and white panda, frame sagging against the cupboards while cooking a hot batch of noodles - uncharacteristically silent, back turned to the Five, and hadn't even noticed that Alf had come into the room.

The boy walked quickly over to Po, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Hmm - what? Oh - Alf," Po noted, weak smile forming while flipping noodles. "Hey man."

"I'm sorry dude," Alf whispered, keeping a hand on Po's shoulder. "I - I wanted to come earlier but - yanno…"

"Don't sweat it," Po returned, keeping his eyes on the flipped noodles. "Seriously."

Alf wasn't satisfied with this. He brought his voice very low, very gentle, and most of all - very honest.

"It won't go away," Alf stated, voice quiet enough where only Po could hear. "I'm not gonna bullshit you."

This seemed to catch the panda's attention. He finally turned to Alf.

"It's gonna eat at you for a few more weeks - maybe a month, or even a year - " Alf continued. " - and even after that, that same feeling is gonna come back. Again. And again. And again."

Po gulped, throat tightening.

"But the one thing you _can_ count on," Alf noted. "Is that no matter how bad it gets - or how bad those memories will feel - there's always gonna be people that love you. Who'll help you get through it."

Po's eyes watered a bit.

Alf grinned, flicking Po on his broad chest. "You always got me, man."

A silence. Po kept a vivid stare at Alf, not saying anything as he examined the Seeker's features - completely unabashed, unrestricted, and honest.

"Thanks Alf," Po let out at last.

And it seemed better - or at least - good enough to where Alf was satisfied. Po's grin had returned - maybe not in the exact same manner as before, but that was to be expected.

The enthusiasm was back.

The joy was back.

And he would get better. With time.

Even Alf would.

"So - Monkey - " Po mentioned, sitting down on a chair positioned at the head of the table. " - any chance you could get those autographs?"

The Five burst into laughter and jokes once more. Alf smiled, watching Viper urge him to take Mantis' offered seat.

He made his way over, gradually taking his place at the table before yet another voice interrupted the conversation.

A silver fox appeared at the dining entrance.

"Sorry I'm late, Po," Yu noted, carrying a large bag over her shoulder. "Where do you want these?"

"Right by the shelf to your right," Po asked, mouthful of noodles obstructing his speech. "And come sit down with us - relax from your catering duties for a while!"

Yu smiled at this. Alf kicked another chair out of its place, patting the seat as Yu eyed him with a grin. She put the bag where Po had designated, then took her place next to Alf.

"Nice," Alf acknowledged. "Does he know that's basically the food we stole from his house? Back when we were trying to run away?"

Yu giggled madly, punching Alf to keep him quiet. "Shhh - don't shout it out you moron…"

Alf shook his head, smiling and then crossing his arms on the table. He looked at Yu with tilted eyes.

"So - why _didn't_ you run away?" Alf queried casually.

Yu smiled, looking downward. Alf took the pause to look around him.

Po was seated at the center of the table, cracking jokes that made the Five burst into splits - laughing for an inordinate amount of time. There were noodles being eaten, smiles all around, and jokes being thrown around like light dumplings. Each of the members seated at the table - felt comfortable to Alf now. They weren't looking at Po with jealousy anymore, or looking at Alf with disgust - it all felt natural now. Understandable. Normal.

And despite his room, despite Shifu, despite the collar that was still on him - and Alf genuinely didn't know if it would _ever_ leave him…

… and despite all the answers Alf knew he had to find for himself, and despite the fact that his body was aching immeasurably, the Valley hated him, and that tomorrow would be a tough day for training… nothing felt undefeatable anymore. Nothing made Alf feel pathetic anymore.

He didn't feel alone.

Things felt - upward.

Mobile.

Possible.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Tigress - moving her gaze from Po goofing around - to Alf and Yu. Her orange eyes met with Alf's brown ones, gentle snicker stretched across her face - avidly observing the interactions between Alf and Yu.

"Because you changed my mind," Yu finally responded.

The fox looked at Alf straight in the eyes. She had never before noted their aged look - the rest of Alf definitely felt and looked like fourteen, but his eyes were deeply recessed and the brow was strong. His gaze wasn't piercing, nor was it happy and open - it was matured, deep-set and calm.

It made her feel very confident. In control.

Yu eventually caught wind of Tigress staring at them both. "Why is she staring at us?"

Tigress' snicker morphed into a wide smirk yet again, as she turned her attention back to her food in victory.

"Just ignore her," Alf sighed, receiving a bowl of noodles pushed across the table from Po. He took a small slurp.

"How is it?" Yu questioned.

Alf's lips curved into a tiny, but resolute smile. "Good… worth it."

And Yu immediately understood what he was talking about.

* * *

 **END OF KUNG FU PANDA (ACT I)**

* * *

 **A/N**

 _WEEE O WEEEE - END OF KFP 1! FINALLY!_

 _I hope the ending went well for everybody. I tried to incorporate as many plotlines as possible, tie them up neatly, while obviously advancing overall themes and questions that will get carried into KFP 2 and beyond. I also tried to make it simple and light (but thematically satisfying), a sort of fitting end to all the madness and chaos that happened the last few chapters._

 _I feel like taking a break, but then again I'm super pumped so I might just keep writing after just a few days of break._

 _Stick with it! Next up, and coming soon - KFP 2!_

 _I love you guys. That's how much the support means to me. :)_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: DragonChronicle - no, it won't be an alien invasion story! XD. I usually don't confirm/deny rumors just 'cause I like to keep it fun, but this speculation made so much sense given what I was writing - after reading over the last chapter again, that seems like a perfectly logical conclusion. (XD again)_

 _So ya - I'm not_ _ **that**_ _adventurous - but you are right, it definitely will be a unique part of the story, and add a new spin on things moving forward._

 _P.P.S: I hope no one thinks im a cocky piece of sh - lol. I def. Take writing too seriously, and by no means I consider myself good, or even mediocre - I'm still learning. These longass A/N's aren't me to self-praise - it's genuinely 'cuz I love KFP - and everything associated with it. Writing is a cool way to express that :D_

 _And I'm gonna shut up now, before I embarrass myself anymore. See you guys soon - when KFP 2 starts!_

9


	18. KFP 2:1

**KUNG FU PANDA 2 (ACT II)**

* * *

" **Hard Knocks"**

* * *

When he arrived, everyone stopped breathing for a second.

 _Click._

 _Clack._

 _Click._

 _Clack._

Metal against stone. Sharp, scratching noises as silver scraped against rock.

The Master's Council - currently restricted to just three individuals: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Ox, and Master Croc - gazed forward with unquestionable tenacity.

 _Click._

 _Clack._

 _Click._

 _Clack._

The figure approaching them was not alone. Draped in a ceremonial white dress, the figure was well-flanked by a large battalion of armored wolves. They seemed to be tugging at a massive, blanketed structure surrounded by a moving box - a ridiculously attention-grabbing spectacle, considering how big the Courtyard was.

Master Rhino grimaced, holding his huge stone hammer more tightly. Gongmen City was a ridiculously selective city - selective enough where the people like the individual in front of him - simply could not get in. Thick, high walls and a plethora of masters defending the massive, sprawling metropolis of buildings, shops, high towers, and restaurants. All was protected.

Yet _he_ got in.

 _Click. Clack._

Even the Palace Courtyard should have prevented entry. There had to have been at least fifteen archers, twenty full-time guards, and an assortment of traps, devices, and discouraging weapon racks that could have lead any sane person to look at the heavily fortified building and think - this was not worth doing.

Yet _he_ had.

 _Click. Clack_

Master Rhino suppressed a gasp. He watched the figure unveil his head, completely the center of the attention in the bright noon sun, with such a massive yet open Courtyard space - stretching hundreds of feet in each direction.

The peacock.

Only _he_ would come for the Palace - the magnificent skyrise tower that stood proudly behind Master Rhino, jettisons of red decorations and poles jutting out from each floor. Rhino took another look at the Palace, stretching well into the sky so some cloud cover partially touched the tips of the top floor - then looked back at the peacock, queasy feeling emerging.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," the peacock noted, smiling as his feathers were still underneath the robes. "Now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way - please leave my house."

" _Your_ house, Shen?" Master Ox sounded off, courage pushing him forward as he stood in front of Master Rhino, pant legs dragging on the ground.

"Peacock on front door?" Shen responded, voice smooth and relaxed. "Peacock artwork? Peacock drawings? You must be a slow one…"

Master Rhino tried to keep his cool, watching the Soothsayer - an old goat standing well away from him - approach the peacock with concern.

"Ah… " Shen let out, voice breathy and arrogant. "Looks like you were _wrong_ , Soothsayer."

The old goat glared coldly back. "We shall _see_ , Shen."

"No, _you_ shall see, old goat," Shen replied savagely. "Now - do I have to do this the hard way?"

"What do you _want_ , Shen?" Master Croc stepped up, moving to join the rest of the Council.

" _Gongmen_ City," Shen denoted simply.

"That _won't_ happen," Master Rhino spat.

A silence.

The peacock stared at his feathers, beginning to make a movement with them. The three Masters were anticipating this. They caught just a _glimpse_ of silver blades being unsheathed.

Yet the peacock did nothing.

"On second thought, why don't we just _skip_ the part where I fight, you all fight, then _Horn Head_ there breaks my knives?" Shen asked, grin spreading. "I don't want to end up like the snow leopard, after all… I'm a bird of _action_."

Master Rhino narrowed his eyes. Shen leaped behind him, flipping several times to land on the edge of the massive box. He signaled his wolf army to let go of the holdings, proceeding to kick off the crate and spread the box open. Massive slabs of wood fell to the ground.

Shen now stood atop a long, metallic black cylinder.

"What - what is that?" Master Rhino let out, spinning his trusty stone hammer in his hands to shield the other two masters.

"A _parting_ gift, from the Seekers," Shen answered, metallic feet dancing around a small rope hanging off the top of the cylinder, which gave Master Rhino concern. "It will part you. Part of you here, part of you there…"

"You insolent fool!" Master Ox roared, trying to push past Master Rhino's stone hammer - but was thrusted back.

"The Seekers are _dead_ ," Master Rhino stated firmly. " _Gone_. There are _no more_ of their kind, for hundreds of years."

"I agree," Shen noted. "But their weapons live on. Their _technology_."

Master Rhino gasped in shock. "How - how did you find that?"

"If you think _this_ is grand - you should see my other ones," Shen boasted proudly, finally scratching the rope to start a spark, which began eating the rope and spreading into the cylinder. "Too bad none of you will _live_ long enough to find out."

Master Rhino prepared himself, extending his stone hammer in front of him. Masters Ox and Croc got into their defensive positions.

A pause.

Then an explosion. Fire.

 _BOOM._

 **. . .**

Two years had passed since Tai Lung was defeated in the Valley of Peace.

In stark contrast to its name, the Valley had experienced a soulful incline in the number of rampant crimes committed every day - which could have been attributed to faulty rhino guard corruption, or perhaps plain poverty - seizing individuals to perform acts of violence and robbery, just to gain some coin. The Valley itself had experienced a grand restructuring - after the effects of Tai Lung's attacks, more of China took interest in the Valley of Peace, which had its own positive and negative consequences. The greatest advantage, perhaps - was that news now reached the Valley much faster, with a constant stream of avian messengers now connecting the Valley to the outside world - or at least beyond the Wu Dan mountains. The negatives however, seemed to center around the features of the Jade Palace staffing, its residents, and the questionable tenacity of its senior master.

None of this detracted however, from the Valley's deep and even somewhat overzealous love for the Jade Palace. The Dragon Warrior - Po - had become something of a legend in the Valley, with an immaculate collection of merchandising in the form of action figures, shirts, vests, food, and even autographed memorabilia. His status as a flabby, overbearing, loud, and constantly enthusiastic panda made him charismatic and likable - spreading his tales and stories like wildfire. China knew Po very intimately, and the latter had made no effort to stop people from spreading stories about his "greatness".

The rest of the Jade Palace were no laughing matter as well. As soon as the public had moved on from Po, they adored the Furious Five - and Master Shifu. Chiefly, most of the adoration seemed to fall on Master Tigress. She was - without question - the strongest member of the Jade Palace, surpassing even the Dragon Warrior and Shifu. Many true fans of the Palace, those with genuine, in-depth knowledge of its inner machinations - acknowledged her practical leadership status in all field expenditures. While Shifu lead in the Training Hall, Tigress would lead on missions. They were both amply supported by the rest of the Furious Five - Master Crane, Master Monkey, Master Mantis, and Master Viper - all of whom were masters of the highest order. Shifu and his "Furious Five" were well-renowned throughout China even before Po had defeated Tai Lung - but with the panda helming the team as the Dragon Warrior, the entire Jade Palace was propelled to mythical levels, the stories of their exploits providing writers and established fortune-tellers tales of history, myth, victory, and heroism.

Everyone remembered the time when Po and the Five took on the mountain gorillas of Feng Shuan, or successfully destroyed the mighty Ke-Pa dragon demon. Everyone remembered when Po stood alone against the Thousand Bandits of Wing Xeng, eating a bowl of dumplings while gloriously smashing them all with his iron-fisted paws.

But most of all, everyone in the Valley of Peace firmly remembered the day - because they had celebrated it so often - that Po and the Five single-handedly defeated the greatest kung fu master who ever lived. Tai Lung's defeat was the hallmark of the Palace's accomplishments, an inspiring tale often repeated to the young children of the Valley as a story of great persistence and courage winning out over experience and power.

And since then - all the members of the Jade Palace had grown much stronger. On a technical level, and by Shifu's own admittance - Tigress had surpassed Tai Lung, Po could easily spar with the rest of the Five, and any single member of the Palace (provided with enough support) could have easily taken down the snow leopard - if he was somehow reanimated back to life. This was - for all intents and purposes - the strongest version of the Jade Palace that the Valley had ever seen. This was a team which the late Master Oogway himself - long thought to be the greatest grandmaster who ever lived - would be proud of.

Then there was the Seeker.

No one spoke about him. No one told stories about him. Many questioned his very existence. Some villagers - under the dusky recesses of their homes, laying awake at night to read stories to rambunctious children - would sometimes recount a time when a creature - one without fur or claws, just raw skin - would roam the streets. Since Tai Lung's defeat, the Seeker had all but vanished from the public eye. The villagers could clearly remember a time before Tai Lung - that they remembered seeing a young boy running around with a collar around his neck. But since the snow leopard had been buried, the boy almost evaporated into nonexistence.

A fitting end, considering that it was public belief - substantiated by everyone in the Jade Palace, the survivors of Chorh-Gom, and pretty much everyone to have ever known the name Tai Lung - that the Seeker had aided the escape of evil snow leopard.

The boy had worked with him - had actively lead a hand in the Valley's destruction. This was the most repulsive act a citizen of the Valley of _Peace_ could do.

So no one was unhappy over the Seeker's disappearance. Many rejoiced it. More celebrated it every time Tai Lung's name would come up. But most of the time, the topic had just been reduced to urban myths and half-baked stories. Some elders would recount instances in recent months where they saw a creature that matched the description of the boy, but these were largely dismissed as anecdotal and non-reproducible.

Most people then, had settled to simply not caring what had happened to the Seeker. All that mattered was that him and Tai Lung were hopefully rotting in the ground together.

And that was enough reassurance for the Valley of Peace.

And despite the Valley's relative stability - the aforementioned petty crimes still happened, however. One such crime - as it was occurring right now - didn't feel so petty.

The Musician's Village was under assault.

 **. . .**

Inside the Dragon Grotto - perhaps the most peaceful part of the Jade Palace, as it was just a simple cave - two figures stood in the gentle morning sunshine. The Grotto itself had stalactites hanging from the dark rock ceiling, with a large body of reflective water covering the center - eerily reminiscent to the Pool of Sacred Tears. The morning sunlight washed over the grand space, illuminating a red panda draped in a green vest, oscillating perfectly on Master Oogway's staff.

The other figure was Po.

"Inner peace - inner peace - " Po let out, trying to mimic Shifu's perfect motions on the staff. "Uh - I'm not really getting this _inner_ peace thing, am I?"

Shifu, pleasant smile stretched across his face, having dealt with Po's antics for two years - nodded his head. "No - you are not. But you may - in the future. Keep at it, Po."

The panda snorted, jiggling his large but admittedly trimmed belly, atop his - now trademarked - burlap pants. "Psshh, I _know_ I'll get it. I mean - I will, right?"

Shifu flashed another smile back.

"PO!"

The foreign voice was demanding and loud, but not harsh.

Although at one time, it used to be.

Master Tigress appeared out of the corner of the cliffside Grotto, sprinting to Po's side on all fours. Her red vest and features signaled action and immediate desire for Po to join in on something, but it didn't signal the same annoyance that they once would have.

"Bandits," Tigress stated urgently. "Wolves - at the Musician's Village."

Po turned to Shifu, bowing gently. "Sorry Master, but _duty_ calls."

Shifu smiled back warmly. "Go - _kick_ butt."

Even after two years, Po had never gotten used to the level of relaxation Master Shifu had been in.

Po ran to the edge of the cliffside, feeling the full strength of sunlight bask his white and black fur. He narrowed his green eyes, seeing the edge of a small village just at the edge of the misty fog permeating the entire Valley of Peace.

Activity. Motion. Wolf landings. Ropes.

Something was definitely happening.

Po grinned, seeing the rest of the Five appear by his side. Crane came in with Mantis on his back, while Monkey carried Viper on his shoulder. They looked down at the small village with Po, flexing their bodies and loosening their joints.

"No snack stops this time," Tigress stated firmly, leaping off the edge of the cliffside and into misty white fog.

"Wh - I don't even - " Po tried to deny, as the rest of the Five smiled at him and followed Tigress' jump. " - wait, you're serious?"

Po jumped into the fog.

He had done this so many times over the past few years that it had become all instinctual. Within a few seconds, his feet found solid ground on Crane's back, movements perfectly synced as he extended his fist forward in a mock-controlling manner.

"Ergh - I'm not a rickshaw, _Po_ ," Crane struggled, diving through the air while trying to balance the panda on his back.

After Po and the Five dove for a few more seconds, the misty white fog departed and morning sunlight illuminated the Musician's Village - still a good distance away, separated by several small, rocky cliffs.

There were an incredible amount of wolves. From what Po could pick up, the wolves had standard bamboo armor and a variety of arrow weapons - a recent trend he had seen in the last couple of months. The pattern was always similar: a gang of wolves would approach a village, steal as much metal as they could find, then promptly flee the scene as Po and the Five arrived.

Po was unsure whether to call them truly bandits.

"WOOOOO HOO!" the panda let out, diving off Crane's back and in the direction of the village.

Although they were imperceptibly off in the distance, the wolves' heads turned on the foggy grassland at the source of the scream. Po could make out the finer details more clearly now - careening downwards with high velocity.

Many rabbit villagers were tied up. A few were running across the dense grassland - some of them were chased by armored wolves. The buildings of the Musician's Village seemed ransacked and broken, doors kicked in and metal stolen. All the metal was compounded into heavy balls bound by thick ropes, sunlight glistening off the reflective surface.

Cold air rushed past Po as he dived, the Five diving close to him.

"Woah - yeehaw!" Po screamed, turning to see the Five dive with him in a surreal moment. "WOAH AHHHHHHH!"

Po flipped, feet finding solid grass.

"Wah hah!" Po let out, confused to see no villagers or wolves. He realized his mistake quickly, turning around. "Oh - haha!"

Now the image was clear for the panda. A large, one-eyed wolf - red, distinctive tattoo on his arm - lead the pack of wolves, who stopped to look at the Five and Po already in battle stances. The villagers cheered, rabbits jumping up and down in joy.

"WE'RE SAVED!"

"THE DRAGON WARRIOR!"

"A panda?" the boss wolf noted. "That's impossible!"

Po shook his head at the ludicrousness of this statement. "My fist hungers for justice…"

 _Grumble._

 _Rumble._

The Five exchanged glances at Po's belly, which sagged and moaned in agony.

"... that was my um - fist." Po attempted.

Tigress groaned.

"Come on!" Po called out, although the Five had already started the fight.

Po sprinted forward, intercepting a wolf as he swung a curved blade multiple times toward the panda.

He grinned. He had practiced it a million times before - the Training Hall being many times more lethal than this tiny sword.

Po leaned to the left.

 _Swish_.

He leaned to the right.

 _Swish_. The blade no contact.

"Hi - " Po started his cry, grabbing the wolf's paw and pulling it over to his backside, shoving him away. " - Heyah!"

The wolf flew into the nearest bell, clanging into it with a perfectly melodious sound. The rabbits cheered.

Po turned to his left, grinning as Monkey jumped into the air and launched a wolf bandit into the sky with a kick. To his right, Mantis subtly dodged multiple blade swipes from three bandits - jumping in between the blades of a doubly-armed wolf with dizzying accuracy, culminating the movement with a perfect kick to the head. Behind Po, Viper and Crane worked in unison to strike several wolves into the air, as Crane stripped them of their armor mid-air - leading to the wolves crashing down onto Viper's tail strike.

But Po's vision was most captivated at the front. Tigress - surrounded by three wolf bandits yet completely unaided - punched one fifty feet away, elbowed one straight into the ground, while using the momentum from the elbow to spin kick the final bandit straight into the sky.

Po's eyes - trained sharp enough to detect even the slightest disturbance in the air - detected a long spear sent Tigress' way.

Yet he need not have worried. Tigress effortlessly jumped into the air, catching it between her legs to spin it back to her right - causing the arrow to collide into a group of wolves holding rabbits hostage.

Po smiled. Even after two years of training, he had never quite understood how to get anywhere close to Tigress' level.

"PO! INCOMING!"

The panda felt startled, seeing three wooden plates fly into view as they deflected arrows away from Po.

"THANKS MANTIS!" Po called out, reaching down to the ground to pick up a small guitar.

He sprinted over to the middle of a group of wolves surrounding a small, old rabbit - stopping a blade swipe with the guitar.

To Po's great annoyance, the old rabbit began playing a tune.

"Ugh - is - that - " Po breathed out, every word coming after deflecting another blade strike from the various wolves lunging at the rabbit. " - really - necessary - right - now?"

Po efficiently spun around, knocking the wolves down. He jumped into the air, soaring downward with his belly to squash the remainder of wolves.

 _Whizz_.

Po turned his gaze upward. At least ten wolves had jumped into the air, well away from the rest of the Five's combat positions - trying to converge on a few rabbits running away from the Village.

"TIGRESS!" Po called out. "DOUBLE DEATH STRIKE!"

Within moments, she appeared next to Po. He jumped into the air, reaching for outstretched paws as she swung him around with incredible velocity - then let go.

Po soared upwards, making his way to the wolves - still in mid-air.

"FEET OF FURY!"

Po kicked out with efficient precision, instantly disabling the remainder of the mid-air wolves. He landed down to the ground slightly off-balance, earning him a smirk from Tigress.

A wolf howled in the distance.

Instantly, motion came. The large bags of metal, wrapped up in careful ropes and thick layering - began to be pulled away by wolves standing on the surrounding cliffside. Po knew they were retreating - which meant that he and the Five needed to intercept the stolen goods now, or risk losing them as protocol dictated attending to the villagers first - retreating enemies second.

"CRANE! GO!" Po yelled.

"ON IT!"

The bird flew straight towards a large bag of metal gently pulled off the edge of the Musician's Village cliffside, anchored to a thick rope held by a wolf standing on another mountain region.

Crane tugged at the metal, calling out to the rest of the Five.

Mantis and Monkey made another connection, attaching themselves to Crane while reaching free appendages toward the cliffside.

But the chain wasn't long enough. Viper dove to catch Mantis, Monkey, Crane - and the large bag of metal.

She cried out for help too - metal bag being pulled away too fast. Po ran, jumping over the edge of the cliff to latch onto Viper and the rest of the group.

Tigress ended the animal "rope", standing at the edge of the cliff while tugging at Po's feet. With her strength - it was enough to keep the entire line stable, despite being well off the edge of the cliff, and being tugged away by the wolves.

"PULL IT UP, PO!" Tigress roared.

Po casually began pulling with both arms, feeling the weight slowly jilt upwards. Again - after so many times practicing for this kind of scenario - nothing felt off. He was going to do it.

The boss wolf appeared from the corner of his vision, red tattoo sticking out to Po.

The panda saw it. Flashes of images ran through his head.

 _Crying._

 _Babies._

 _Sound of metal._

 _Something like fire._

 _A peacock._

Po froze, feeling the weight slip from his fingers.

"PO!" Tigress emphasized again. "WE NEED YOU TO PULL - NOW!"

Yet Po couldn't. The images kept running through his head.

 _Fire._

 _Burning._

 _Death._

 _The peacock._

A whizz of blackness. Po looked to his right.

A completely obscured figure - covered in black garments that shielded the figure's entire body, face, eyes, and hands from the exterior - dove downwards, cutting through air with manic precision. To anyone else, the figure looked like nothing but a moving black mass, completely undetectable and unrecognizable. Even the Five were momentarily shocked, taking several seconds to understand and associate the diving black figure to memory.

Yet Po knew who it was instantly, sighing. "I _told_ him that suit looked tacky. But does he listen to me ever? No…"

The figure wrapped an arm around Viper's tail, urging her to release the chain. She did so without hesitation.

With the figure's other arm, it grasped onto Monkey's arm - still connected to Crane and Mantis, who clung to the large bag of metal.

With a single, swishing effort - using just one of its arms - the figure launched the entire remainder of the chain: metal ball, Mantis, and Crane into the air.

Tigress swung Po's feet to the side, tilting the Po-Viper chain upwards as Viper flicked the entire mass powerfully behind her, as Po belly-bumped it behind him, as Tigress casually grasped the massive structure to gently place it down behind her - on firm, completely stable grassland.

Po pulled himself to his feet, watching the Five reassemble behind him. Ensuing cheers came from the villagers immediately.

"THE DRAGON WARRIOR SAVED US!"

"PRAISE THE FURIOUS FIVE!"

"LONG LIVE THE JADE PALACE!"

Po smiled, urging the villagers away as they were escorted by a freshly-arriving bird - Zeng - who began directing them down a rock path leading away from the area, most likely to the nearest Valley healers.

Within a minute, the Musician's Village was empty once more. Po grumbled, watching the shadows of a few wolves just begin to disappear from his sight - traversing well into the misty fog of mountains surrounding them, managing to haul a few bags of metal out regardless.

"We'll catch 'em next time," the panda let out, frustrated. "Yet another _supercool_ end to a _supercool_ day."

Mantis and Crane grinned at him, punching him on the shoulder. Monkey leaped into the air, stretching his back muscles. Viper merely stared back at the panda, nodding her head in acknowledgement of his compliment.

Only Tigress approached Po, discontent on her face. "What happened back there?"

Po raised his eyebrows, trying to lie his way out of the situation. "What? Like my form wasn't good with the spinkick or - "

"You froze," Tigress cut through, meeting Po's gaze in an uncomfortably piercing way. "What happened?"

Po tried to find excuses to stall for time, not wanting to display how embarrassing the images were.

And what would he even tell?

He had seen a peacock? He had seen fire? He had felt something that he hadn't felt for nearly his entire life?

What had he even felt when he had seen the tattoo?

Luckily, Po's distraction came quickly. The black figure, still perfectly obscured by its dark garments, clambered up the cliffside now. It walked gently towards the Five and Po, swinging its shoulders with a carefree nonchalance.

" _Amber_ ," Tigress noted with great annoyance. "Where _were_ you when we just arrived at the village?"

"Didn't want to _taint_ your guys' good image," the figure responded simply, pulling off its mask, knowing no one except the Five and Po were present.

The face that appeared was young, approximately sixteen years old. He had no fur, claws, or fangs - and his eyes and full-lipped mouth were well-spaced and proportionate. Hazel eyes were paired with black, wavy hair that ran down the back of his head.

"After all, what would the Valley _think_ if they saw you guys hanging around with _me_?" Alf asked.

Po grinned.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Woo hoo! KFP 2! Finally! (A nice, meaty chapter too...)_

 _I tried to start with something that was very distinctive and a chapter where I could get a lot of the exposition out of the way - but still make it feel like a good amount of time had passed since the events of KFP 1. I also wanted a good action scene to show how much everyone had progressed, and KFP 2 naturally had that already!_

 _Other than that, obviously I'm just starting off the next arc._

 _Boy do I love slow builds…_

 _Yeah yeah support is incredible I'm humbled and amazed… :D_

 _~TW_


	19. KFP 2:2

" **Old News, Current News, and New News"**

* * *

"FLIP - NOW!"

"YES MASTER!"

"MONKEY - DOUBLE BARREL ROLL!"

"YES MASTER!"

"PO - STOP LOUNGING BY THE WOODEN WARRIORS!"

"Oops - um - YES MASTER!"

Po left the stack of Wooden Warriors, jumping between the various spinning arms with effortless precision. It utterly baffled Po how easy this was for him now - for so long, he had thought his size had been a disadvantage.

Yet now, diving beneath the rapidly spinning spikes - just casually watching the wooden extensions fly above his head, Po realized that his size only provided him with a set of circumstances - circumstances to adapt to, flex his position into, and overall work new situations with.

None of it was a disadvantage.

Mid-flip, Po took a look at the rest of the Five working out alongside him in the Training Hall - Tigress was smashing through wood and rotating spikes, while Monkey and Crane had perfected their new "Shining Blur, Hidden Bird" technique on the rings suspended from the ceiling. Viper was as usual, enjoying dancing with the pillars of flames off to Po's right - contorting her body in perfect symmetry as she managed to elude every single burst of fire.

"Students!" Shifu rang out, standing at the entrance to the Training Hall. "Enough! Follow me outside."

The movement stopped instantly. Po took his time to smash a few more Wooden Warriors, leaping into the air and across the Training Hall.

"SHAKABOOEY!"

Po landed on his feet, annoyed that the Five had already beaten him to the entrance. Shifu smiled as the Dragon Warrior pushed himself to the front of the group - yet the Five stood back and chuckled.

Even after all the missions they had gone through together, Po was very much still a fanboy.

"What is _up_?" Po let out with a groan. "Master Shifu?"

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "Have you worked on your inner peace technique, Po?"

"He's working on shoving pieces into his inners," Mantis interrupted. "If that counts."

A murmur of giggles from the Five. Po groaned, bowing respectfully to Shifu.

"I - well - sort of - " Po started. "Well - yanno - kinda?"

"That's a no, then," Shifu agreed, smiling. "Never mind. Follow me."

Shifu began his stroll down the steps leading to the Palace Courtyard, as the Five and Po followed him.

Practicing kung fu at noontime had its benefits - outdoor exercises were surprisingly much easier for everyone, considering that the strong sunlight bathed everyone's fur and allowed all of their practiced movements to come like butter. Outdoor movements also meant practicing on hard, stony rock flooring instead of the misshapen wooden platforms in the Training Hall - which, despite being effective - sometimes acted as a nuisance and as a barrier to mastering some more precise techniques. There was also the added benefit of occasionally cooling breezes that would wash over the Jade Palace - calming everyone down and preparing their muscles for maximum exertion.

"Finished yet, Seeker?" Shifu asked, eyeing the boy casually dressed in blue and green garments - as he painted a large red circle around the entire length of the Courtyard.

"Not yet," Alf replied smoothly, watching the Five and Po stand next to Shifu and wait for him to finish painting. "Should be soon though…"

Po frowned. Although by and large - Alf had successfully mixed well with the group, had helped on numerous missions (his help perhaps being understated), and even managed to stay well out of the citizens' eyesight…

...the collar was still there. A bit tinted, metallic and black, and firmly enclosed around Alf's neck.

Po sighed. Although he didn't like it, the collar was _still_ being used to shock Alf quite frequently - Shifu had been able to find at least a _few_ reasons each week to "punish" Alf via electrocution. Sometimes it was a missed step during his execution of a kick, sometimes it was when he realized Alf didn't clean the Palace properly, and some other times the reasoning bordered on vindictive.

Alf - perhaps out of necessity or acceptance of his situation - had gotten used to it. It wasn't as if he could backtalk Shifu, and there's no way he could report any injuries sustained via Shifu's shocking to any authorities.

More importantly, Shifu itself was another reason why Po felt cautious about Alf's status at the Palace - unlike himself and the Five - Shifu refused to call Alf anything other than "Seeker" or occasionally "boy".

That itself spoke to how tense their relationship was these days.

"Done, Master Shifu," Alf noted, adding the last touch of finishing red paint onto the circle.

The Five and Po approached the center of the circle, already following Shifu's stride there. Alf met them all in-between, folding his arms back in the most respectful posture possible.

"As a reward for saving the Musician's Village," Shifu started. "I'd like to do a fun activity to finish off today's training - Elimination Rounds."

Almost everyone in the group - standing around Shifu - collectively groaned.

The sole exception was Tigress, who flashed a wide grin and began loosening up her neck. Alf sighed, having hoped that the red circle he had been painting was a new Courtyard design feature, rather than for this idiotic game.

Elimination Rounds were by far, the strongest evidence of Shifu's favoritism for his adoptive daughter. The game itself was practically simple - in any given area, two sparring partners would pair off and try to win "points" by making contact with the other's body through kicks, punches, shoves, or any kind of physical touching motion. Movement outside the circle would lead to a disqualification, and blocking was not allowed. So after receiving five points, the partner who reached there first would stay in the circle. The loser would exit, while another fighter took his or her place.

It was an idiotic game, because out of all the eight times that Shifu had thrusted this game upon everyone - Tigress had won, handily. And despite the fact that just touching was enough to earn a point, she had always chosen to make full contact with fully-powered punches and kicks, making everyone sore until next morning.

"Enjoy the game." Shifu noted, walking away from the Palace Courtyard and towards the elevated stony path behind the Training Hall - which lead back to the Dragon Grotto.

"Who's first?" Tigress remarked, grinning as she readied herself into a prolonged battle stance - both paws out.

"Do we _really_ have to do this?" Crane interrupted, shaking his beak in annoyance. "Can't we just say that you'll win and just call it a day?"

"Thank you for volunteering first, Master Crane," Tigress replied forcefully, bowing.

Alf made his way over to the side, leaning against the back wall of the Palace Courtyard - not interested in seeing what was going to happen. He sat down, looking at his fingers in boredom.

Yet he heard it.

Within seconds, Crane was on the floor clutching at his feathered chest - wheezing.

" _One_ ," Tigress proudly declared, paw extended.

" _Z - Zero,_ " Crane squeakily let out.

That was another thing that seemed - to Alf at least - to be unintentionally embarrassing. After each point, both partners needed to state how much points they had.

Which made the next few seconds particularly cringe-worthy.

 _THUMP._

"Two."

"Zero."

 _WHAM!_

"Three."

"Zero."

 _WUMP!_

"Four."

"Ze - Zero - take it easy Tig - AUGH!"

"Five."

Alf shook his head, watching Po drag Crane's tired body gently out of the red circle and near the boy. Both the Seeker and the bird sat next to each other, watching Viper take center stage as Mantis, Monkey, and Po resumed standing in line with weary expressions.

"What's even the point of this?" Crane managed, wincing at his sore talons. "Shifu's trying to make Tigress learn how to count to five?"

"Maybe she hasn't gotten it yet," Alf cackled, watching Tigress throw Viper down to the hard flooring effortlessly. "Maybe that's the reason why this keeps happening…"

 _THRASH!_

"Two."

"Zero."

"She _does_ know that you don't _have to_ hit as hard as you can, right?" Crane asked, genuinely confused. "Is that not clear to her?"

 _WHUMP. THUNK. CRASH!_

"Three. Four. Five."

"Zero - erm - zero - uh… zero…"

Alf and Crane laughed, Viper's politeness and adherence to rules actually compelling her to repeat the same number three times.

The snake slithered over, resting her head on Alf's lap as the Seeker watched Monkey shaking before stepping into the red circle.

"Wait - before we do this Tigress," Monkey tried. "Can I just - OOF!"

"One."

Alf grinned, watching Tigress throw Monkey to the ground in the same manner she had done with Viper.

"Alf," Viper questioned, sore head just dangling off Alf's knees. "Did anything seem - off - about Po yesterday? At the Musician's Village?"

"Not more than usual," Alf replied with a wink, stroking Viper's tired head to relax more on his lap.

"Three."

"Z - Z - Zer - "

 _Thump!_

"Four."

"He actually froze," Crane intervened, flexing his wings to relieve tension. "Like - Po saw something that made him just stop - almost like he remembered something."

"Really?" Alf wondered out-loud. "I dunno - doesn't sound like him."

"Exactly the point," Viper emphasized.

Monkey came crawling over to Alf, Crane, and Viper - collapsing onto the ground in a heat of exhaustion.

"I - I hate this stupid game," Monkey breathed out.

"You're sure he wasn't just tired or something?" Alf questioned. "Po tends to get tired - especially considering he didn't get the snack stop."

"I - I told Tigress that was a bad idea…" Monkey recalled.

"Monkey - you don't even know what we're talking about," Viper responded with a chuckle.

Po had finally made his way to the front of the line - or rather, he was the only person still left. He stood in the middle of the red circle, squaring off with Tigress with the usual enthusiasm that made perhaps - her blows more bearable.

"IT IS _ON_!" Po squealed, excitement flooding him.

Tigress smiled. "Bring it on - _Dragon Warrior_."

Alf narrowed his eyes. Where had Mantis gone?

"Hey guys."

That answered that question.

Mantis popped up behind Alf, leaping onto the Seeker's shoulder. "Don't tell her, please."

"Mantis you did this _last_ time!" Crane whined, shaking his head. "You can't just _hide_ until she forgets about you!"

"Crane, Viper, Monkey, Alf - " Mantis began, voice threatening. "- if any of you _out_ me, I swear by the Scrolls that I'll - "

"Should I talk to him about it?" Alf asked the group.

"About his thing with Tigress?" Monkey interrupted, clearly half-dazed.

"Wait - what?" Viper interrupted, forgetting about the original conversation and moving her head off Alf's lap. " _Thing_ for Tigress? Po has a thing for Tigress?"

"Guys, we were talking about Po's freezing thing, not this stuff…" Crane attempted.

"Is this really news?" Alf questioned, also choosing to roll with the new topic. "Guys - he's had like a _thing_ for her since he like - first heard of her."

"Yeah but it's like - _Po_ ," Mantis noted, as the group nodded their heads. "And Tigress is well - _Tigress_."

"Opposites attract…" Monkey spoke carefully.

"Wait, they're attracted to _each_ other?" Alf broke in. "What?"

" _What? No!"_ Monkey responded quickly. "Po is! I mean - none of them are! I mean - I'm gonna shut up now…"

" _Yes_ ," Crane and Viper muttered in unison. "Please. Before you get yourself killed."

"Or better yet, we'll _all_ talk to Po about it," Monkey noted.

"Monkey - you _still_ don't know what we were talking about," Crane stated. "But - that is a good idea."

"Oh boy, an intervention!" Mantis squealed. "Wait - what are we talking about?"

" _I_ was thinking about talking to Po about his _freezing_ incident," Alf noted. "But then Monkey sidetracked us with his freaking spicy gossip…"

Po came crashing forward, sliding directly closer to Alf's feet. He was out of the red circle now.

"That - was - _awesome_! Oww!" Po yelled, clutching at his belly - two tiger paws imprinted in red bruises. "Did - did anyone get a single point?"

Mantis stared at the sky, trying not to bring attention to himself. Crane and Viper shook their heads sadly. Monkey's head was revolving around and around, possibly confused from the blows.

"Cool," Po let out, wheezing but still happy. "Guess we're all in the same boat…"

Alf sighed, beginning to move Viper off his lap, and encouraging Mantis to leap down - knowing what had to happen now.

He just had to get it over with. He had made tremendous strides in physicality, athleticism, and mastery of kung fu techniques in the two years he had been at the Jade Palace - but nothing could prepare him for this.

" _Anngeellllinnnaaa_ \- " Tigress sarcastically harmonized. "Come out and _plaaaaayy_ …"

Alf groaned, forcing his feet to carry him to the center of the red circle. He wondered which version of Tigress he preferred - the one that hated his guts, back when Po and him had just been introduced to the Jade Palace - or the current version, which made fun of him (admittedly lightheartedly) at every possible opportunity.

But she _had_ somewhat mellowed - even if in a sarcastic, standoffish, and still blunt but charismatic way. And that was good for everyone.

Alf took his place at the center of the red circle, watching Tigress get into her classic ready stance - paws forward, feet back, and shoulders cocked.

It felt different to be in this position. Alf glanced at the rest of the Five and Po - sitting down near the back wall of the Courtyard with exhausted expressions.

Alf noted how no one talked to Po yet. Perhaps there _was_ a need to talk to him about what happened at the Musician's Village.

"Ready, Annabelle?" Tigress asked.

Alf nodded, always confused at how many girl names Tigress would have to know so that she could quickly regurgitate them like this. He wondered how many girls Tigress even _knew_.

Alf wondered how many _people_ Tigress even knew.

 _THUMP._

"AUGH!"

Alf flew back, having his chest make solid contact with Tigress' paw.

"One," Tigress proudly stated, getting back into her ready stance. "Be careful - I don't want you chipping a nail or anything."

That classic smirk was back on her face, but Alf ignored it, getting back into his own ready stance. It was much different from everyone else's, perhaps a natural consequence of being a Seeker - which consisted of arms locked, legs backward, and shoulders cocked.

 _WHISH._

A swift punch to his left. Alf avoided it, sideswiping underneath her legs.

Which ended up being a horrible mistake. Tigress hopped over, bringing another paw crashing down on the back of Alf's head - shoving him to the ground.

"Two," Tigress continued.

Alf growled. He stood back up, immediately launching into an uppercut which Tigress cleanly dodged - but he had expected that. Her knee came searing, straight for his ribcage, but Alf pirouetted in mid-air to launch another kick aimed at Tigress' head.

But she wasn't there anymore.

Tigress was behind Alf in mid-air, grabbing him by the shoulders and hips to bodyslam him to the ground.

"AUGH!"

"Three."

Alf tried to calm himself down. He stood up again, analyzing Tigress' stance once more. Paws ready. Shoulders cocked. Eyes narrowed and focused.

He tried a different approach.

Alf ran shoulder first in front of him. As expected, Tigress laughed this off and jumped gently in mid-air again - but that was exactly what Alf hoped she would do. Before she could complete the jump, Alf thrust forward his right fist, speed startling her.

Yet she managed to just miss the punch, dodging it by a fraction of a second before countering with her downwards spin kick. Alf slid to his right, going for another leg sweep before Tigress flipped again with another sidekick - which dug into Alf's face.

 _WHUMP._

"Four."

Alf gritted his teeth.

He elected to go simple. Alf launched a right hook at Tigress' face - she casually rotated past it and countered with a sweeping leg kick. Alf jumped into the air, launching forward in a mid-air straight punch. Tigress gently swiveled away, bringing her knee upwards in the hope of reaching Alf's chin.

Yet the boy rolled away, bringing his fist backward.

And it made contact.

 _WHUMP._

Alf and Tigress both landed on their feet. The Seeker turned to look at the Five and Po - most of whom were so busy talking with each other that they had missed this amazing moment. Only Po's mouth was agape, staring at both Alf and Tigress in raw inspiration.

"Did - " Tigress started, narrowing her eyes with genuine surprise. " - Did you just _backhand_ me?"

Alf knew there was no good way out of this, and so resigned himself to at least go out in style. "Uh - hehe - _one_? OOF!"

"Five."

 **. . .**

… _..._

 _He opened his eyes._

 _The sky was blanketed in a sea of red. Flaming rocks fell from the sky, crashing onto the ground and devastating all life in its path. Buildings were fractured and strewn in pieces - villagers were slaughtered and bleeding from every corner of his vision. The sky was enveloped in thick, putrid black smoke._

 _The boy shook the images out of his head._

 _An immense, booming noise._

 _Louder than anything he had ever heard._

 _Stronger than anything he had ever experienced._

 _The boy shuddered._

 _Darkness._

 _The boy couldn't see anything._

 _A black figure warped in front of him._

 _It grasped the boy by the throat._

" _Colonization Complete."_

 _The boy melted, blood particles spattering on the grassland._

… _..._

"ALF!"

"NO!"

Alf shot up, sweat trickling down his brow. He opened his eyes, focusing more clearly on a silver fox standing over him, paws on his shoulders.

"Nightmare?" Yu queried, gentle green eyes trying to calm Alf down.

"Yeah…" Alf let out, getting into a sitting position as his cot squeaked in pain.

"Same one?"

Alf groaned, rubbing at his eyes. "Yeah…"

Yu shook her head, staring at the dusty ground of his room. "It's happening more often now, right?"

Alf stood up, shaking off that feeling. "Forget it Yu - maybe I'm just tired."

Yu sighed, deciding to avoid the topic.

Alf snorted, taking pride at looking at his room. There was still the dirty, muddy flooring and moss-stained rock walls - but Alf had managed to patch up any holes in the bamboo piping above. This benefited both the Valley and himself - as any leaks would consistently transfer a solid can of sewage directly into the space. This, combined with a dirt floor, made for an extravagantly repulsive problem. Alf had neglected to take care of the ceiling for the first few months he had slept in his room (finally pilfering an extra cot from Po), culminating in the sewage spills. And after cleaning up such an ordeal, the ceiling never again fell out of order. Bright wiring wrapped around all of the potentially fragile parts of the bamboo piping - a layer that Alf replaced almost every week from scrap he could find around the Palace. The smell was impossible to remove however, but after two years of living there - Alf had grown accustomed to it.

"Let's go," Yu called, already at the foot of the steps leading out of the basement room. "Dinner time."

"You didn't have to come all the way down," Alf noted, body still sore from Tigress' thrashing.

"Actually, I didn't come here for that," Yu emphasized, stopping at the foot of the stairs. "I think I may have found a lead."

This made Alf run to Yu immediately.

"How?" Alf let out, startled. "It's been _months_ since we got any contact from _him_."

"Well, he responded," Yu noted. "Gave us this message."

Yu extended a small slip of paper, watching Alf read the lettering with interest.

 _By China's end,_

 _And by China's beginning._

 _By your start,_

 _And your finish._

 _Six is there,_

 _But five should be beware._

 _If it's answers to your past that you seek,_

 _Then seek - Seeker - or be weak._

"Asshole," Alf grumbled, crumpling up the paper to throw into the ground behind him. "It's worthless."

"It's a riddle!" Yu declared, annoyed at his response.

"I _know_ it's a riddle," Alf replied with disgust. "Would it _kill_ our anonymous friend to just _give_ us some _real_ info?!"

"He doesn't reply back that often," Yu attempted. "It took us _this_ long to get a response from him."

Alf huffed. It had been incredibly difficult to locate any credible sources of information on the Seekers since Tai Lung's demise - now that Alf had a public warrant put out to kill him on sight, and considering Shifu was strictly against what he and Yu were doing now - they had been relegated to search for answers under blankets, at night, and at times they thought no one was looking. Much of it had been wasted information - hundreds upon hundreds of "sources" who had lead Alf and Yu to dead ends, conned them out of some coin, or simply acted as moles for the Rhino Patrol. If it was possible, even _less_ information had been given on Alf's "birth" - most sources gave no information, and a smaller plurality were completely silent when pressed.

Yet this anonymous source had been different. Months prior, Alf had received a letter from an unnamed source - thankfully Zeng hadn't opened the scroll, nor knew the details of the bird that carried it before him - which gave him a secretive brown book.

The book had lines and lines, pages upon pages - detailing the entire history of the Seekers - tales that almost always contradicted each other.

Incredible myths. That the Seekers never existed. That the Seekers had all killed themselves because of greed. That the Seekers had been extinguished by a natural disaster. That the Seekers were twenty feet tall, had fangs and horns, and spoke with rumbling voices. That the Seekers were mouse-like creatures, small, weak, and pathetic. The book itself made no judgement calls, nor clarified with details were true and which weren't.

But the source had. It had let Alf and Yu know that whatever the history was - someone, or possibly some _people_ \- were working hard to conceal the truth.

So in comparison to the book, this riddle seemed underwhelming.

"He gave us that _book_ ," Yu remembered, eyeing a spot of the cot that stuck out ever so slightly - where Alf had sewn it into the fibers to keep it away from prying eyes. "This _must_ mean something."

"I've went over that damn book a thousand times," Alf recalled with frustration. "It didn't tell us something new. Just myths and fables - bullshit, basically."

"It let us know _someone's_ behind the bullshit," Yu fired back, picking up the discarded piece of paper. "At least promise to think on the riddle, okay?"

Alf groaned, wincing as he moved his body up the steps. "Yeah yeah - let's just eat dinner first."

Yu followed Alf up the steps.

 **. . .**

"So I tell the guy - " Po started, shoving two bean buns into his mouth. " - I don't care if you know Flying Falcon style! You haven't seen _Bodacious_ Panda style!"

"Both are _not_ real styles," Crane responded.

Mild giggles from the Five, and reluctantly - from Alf. Po had actually repeated this story just earlier after training, but he had apparently forgotten about that moment.

"Good thing we _see_ Bodacious Panda everyday…" Mantis sarcastically quipped, as the Five laughed more easily now.

"Mantis, we're lucky if we _see_ you at all."

Po's joke was met with critical acclaim, as the Five laughed uproariously.

Alf smiled. Meals like this were his favorite part of the day - usually after a hard day of training. It was the soreness in everyone's bodies combined with Po's nourishing food, or the gentle sway of fur and cabinets as an open window allowed cool breezes to flow inward. Or perhaps it was the overall activity around the table - Po usually telling a series of jokes, engaging with the Five, and Yu occasionally stopping by for a bite or two. In stark contrast to Alf, she preferred to keep her distance from the rest of the group.

Alf saw the fox disappear just behind the Dining Mess entrance - exchanging glances as she left with a bowl of noodles.

After all this time - she had still been remarkably closed off to Alf when it came to her personal matters. Alf didn't even know where she _lived_ \- and he could only think of the rock outside the Valley.

"So… how much longer is _that_ gonna go on?" Crane noted, looking at Alf.

The Seeker turned in his seat, putting his dumpling down as he eyed the rest of the Five and Po staring at him. "What?"

"Augh," Viper vocalized in annoyance. "The little _looks_. The _flirting_. The _I wish she'd stay a little longer_ eyes…"

Po cackled wildly, slapping Crane and Mantis roughly as they scowled at the panda. Viper and Monkey laughed together.

"That's just how friends communicate with each other!" Alf defended, redness flushing his cheeks.

"No, friends _talk_ with each other," Monkey emphasized. " _Couples_ communicate."

The redness in Alf's cheeks grew.

"Personally, I've never seen two girls falling in love," Tigress broke in, using chopsticks to put a piece of tofu into her mouth. "But who am _I_ to judge? Love is love…"

"We're not trying to get together," Alf firmly stated, turning his head down. "End of story."

"Dude, it's been like a running _gag_ for the last two years," Po described, shoving a handful of noodles into his mouth. "You wanna know how many times we've seen you _both_ \- give each other the _look_?"

"Like when?!" Alf exclaimed, shaking his head wildly. He regretted asking that however, as the Five gave back quick examples.

"How about right now?" Crane called in.

"Or when we were fighting the Xi Sheng mountain trolls?"

"Or when you got hurt in training and she splinted your shoulder?"

"Or _every time_ you guys eat together?"

"Or when we tricked Po into thinking he was kicked out of the Palace?"

"That wasn't funny you guys…"

"Okay I get it!" Alf raised his voice, silencing the Five and Po. "I guess I can't just _chill_ with one of my friends like I usually do, anymore…"

The Five and Po groaned.

"We're just saying to make it _official_ ," Viper noted. "So the Palace can be spared from all that cheesy acting that you guys keep putting on."

"Maybe like - ask her out on a date?" Po suggested.

Alf face-palmed, actually just trying to hide his cheeks from view. He cursed his lack of fur - the one invention that could have helped immeasurably right now.

He also frowned at Po. It would have taken Alf a second to reveal the panda's feelings for Master Tigress, which would suddenly put things into a very awkward situation. But unlike Po, Alf didn't fight dirty - and he certainly couldn't imagine what Po would say if Alf revealed the large panda's true thoughts.

 _Tigress, I'm so -_

 _WHAM!,_ Alf thought, smiling.

"Just _know_ that if you crazy kids want some children," Tigress interrupted again. "You'll probably have to adopt. You know, because - "

"Yeah I get it, I'm a girl," Alf finished for her.

Tigress looked highly offended. "No! Because you're a Seeker, and she's a fox."

Alf groaned.

"But also because you're a girl."

The Five burst into laughter again. Po slapped Alf on the back, proceeding to get up from the table and start collecting everyone's empty plates.

"Students."

A pause. Everyone knew that voice.

 _Anyone_ could tell that it was Master Shifu standing at the entrance of the Dining Hall, staff in hand. But only the members of the Jade Palace could tell _that_ tone of voice in Shifu's voice - the tone that only came once every few years.

The last time was when Tai Lung had died.

"The Masters' Council is dead," Shifu stated. "Gongmen City is under foreign control."

The Five, Po and Alf took a moment to process this.

"By who?" Viper asked.

"A peacock," Shifu answered. "He calls himself - Lord Shen."

A flurry of noises. The Five began discussing rapidly with each other, as Shifu tried to get in the center and calm them down.

But there was only one sound Alf was focused on - Po.

The panda was hyperventilating, clutching his chest and beginning to break out in a cold sweat. It almost looked as if he was seeing things - things that no one else could see.

Alf now knew what Viper was talking about. He _had_ to talk to Po.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Long chapter again, I don't know why but KFP 2 feels easy to develop writing-wise - and obviously, I have to keep track of multiple storylines to make sure the slow build really works…_

 _I love writing character interactions now, considering how everyone can sort of call each other "friends" which makes for far more interesting dialogue._

 _But that's all I've got for today, folks._

 _See ya later! Support is … (insert adjective)_

 _~TW_


	20. KFP 2:3

" **Leaving Home"**

* * *

 _Click. Clack. Click. Clack._

Metal against marble.

Harsh.

Unforgiving.

Calculated.

"This is a disgrace."

"Silence - I'm thinking."

The old soothsayer - beard just wilting a bit in the harsh unfamiliarity of the room - groaned. She grasped her face with anxiety, watching the peacock order his wolf underlings around, throwing out valuables and deface the room.

 _The_ throne room.

The soothsayer sniffled. Since Gongmen City had been lost, Shen had taken it upon himself to restructure the entire Palace - starting with the throne room.

Chairs had been demolished. Paintings and antique kung fu artifacts auctioned off - or melted for scrap metal. The beautiful furniture and rugs that adorned the large space were simply trashed.

In the center of the multi-pillared, completely bare room - a large metal cannon sat idly.

"You like it?" Shen noted, smiling at the old goat. "Adds a touch of - _ambience_ to the room."

"It's a disgrace," the soothsayer whispered, revulsing inside. "You're a disgrace."

"I am an _innovator_ ," Shen forced, bringing his face close to the goat's. "A leader. A changer."

" _No_ one would do this," the soothsayer emphasized. "Your parents taught you better."

"My parents threw me out," Shen spat, feathers bristling. "Out of my _own_ house."

" _Because you disgraced them_ ," the goat fired back, eyes watering mildly. "The - the boy I knew long ago - what happened to him?"

Shen moved away, covering his face.

He looked at the large cannon. There was a bittersweet love to coming back here, the sense of rejoice mixed with hatred - the Palace represented everything he had loathed about his parents: the pointless furniture, the excessive decorum, the superficial mentalities - no one would have thought that he could become what he was today.

So it was doubt that was fuelling him - years of doubt, from everyone around him.

"Tell me Shen," the goat continued, daring to walk closer. "How could you stoop this low? Stoop low enough - to steal technology? From the vilest race of them all?"

The peacock grinned, eyebrows angling cruelly downward. "I am not like the rest of China, Soothsayer - world domination can't be _bigoted_."

"You _cannibalized_ weapons from the only people we _all_ must be united _against_ ," the Soothsayer gently argued. "If you think what you did to the pandas was cruel - think of the Seekers - "

"I AM NOT INTERESTED IN HISTORY!" Shen roared, silencing the goat immediately. "I - I _care_ about the future. Tomorrow."

The goat whimpered, tilting her head down.

"And tomorrow - China shall know who I am," Shen finished.

The peacock marched away, giving more orders to the wolves. The Soothsayer watched him for a while, acknowledging that he felt completely unrecognizable.

 **. . .**

As it turned out, Shifu was even more anxious than he had appeared.

Gongmen City hadn't merely been taken over by Shen and his army of wolves - it had been effectively repopulated, a great number of its Palace guards killed or imprisoned, and a constant stream of wolf soldiers had sieged and completely controlled the city. Bordering provinces - fearing Shen and his "weapon" - did not dare to fight the foreign invaders or do battle against the entire wolf army.

Shifu had given an intermediate amount of information, barely enough to proceed on. Some facts were immediately uncovered: that Shen had some history with Gongmen City, that he was previously banished from ruling it, and that he was explicitly connected to a "horrific weapon".

Alf had his doubts. Shifu's description of a weapon that "breathes fire and spits metal" felt exaggerated - the Seeker much more likely thought Shen had repurposed some sort of machine into firing metal at a high speed. His first thought had been a firework, substantiated by public belief that peacocks had invented fireworks long ago - but Alf was unsure how Shen had managed to transform that into a weapon.

All of this was immaterial however, as Shifu had ordered the Five and Po to deploy themselves to Gongmen City - notably leaving out Alf's name.

Which was fine for the Seeker. Nearly all of his "missions" with the Five and Po had to be orchestrated in some weird manner, where he would hide and avoid contact with the members of the Jade Palace for the majority of the fighting, and wear thick, dark garments that covered him fully - head to toe. Alf had moved past the stage of feeling offended, and merely felt grateful to get the Palace all to himself for once.

"Po," Alf called out, walking the dormitory hall carefully. "Where are you, bro?"

Alf kept his ears ready for any sound. In the dim moonlight, filtering past the thick bamboo layering and walls - Po's room was active and full of hushed voices.

"Looks like the gang's all there…" Alf muttered to himself, walking to the panda's room.

Tonight was the anniversary of Mr. Ping's death - which might have perfectly explained Po's freezing incident as well. Alf's thoughts were that the panda had seen something that day in the Musician's Village - something that reminded him of his late father, which completely shocked the Dragon Warrior into inaction. However, he had been through the same thing with Po last year - the day was hard, and Po's energy levels were low throughout the entire twenty-four hours, but he always got through it. Usually it would be Alf and Yu offering support - with some of the Five occasionally dropping in to comfort Po.

"Woah," Alf let out, pushing into the large room. "Guess I'm late to - whatever _this_ is."

The Five were huddled around Po, watching the panda sit in his cot and sigh. He smiled a bit when he saw Alf however.

"We're talking to Po about the _thing_ ," Viper offered, slithering into a side wall to relax against it. "The _thing_ he keeps denying."

"I didn't _freeze_ ," Po denied vehemently, rubbing at his eyes. "My arm got tired and I started slipping. That's all."

"You _didn't_ slip, Po," Tigress countered immediately. "And if you pull that kind of stunt when we're in Gongmen, someone's gonna get hurt."

Alf walked into the room, taking a seat by the side wall opposite to Viper. Po groaned, getting up to pace around the room.

"It's more than just for us, big guy," Mantis genuinely tried. "Think about if _that_ happened when an arrow's inches from your heart. We couldn't _live_ with ourselves if that's how you ended up - yanno…"

"Dead?" Crane bluntly stated.

" _Crane!_ " Monkey broke in, jumping into the air to lightly shove the bird back.

Po laughed, shaking his head and paws at the Five. "Trust me guys - no one's gonna get hurt on my watch. It was just my stomach, I swear!"

Alf - as well as half of the Five - found this profoundly unconvincing. However, there were more pressing matters to attend to, and given that an appropriate amount of time had already been spent trying to make Po confide in them - it was better to start talking about Gongmen City.

"It's not too far from here, is it?" Alf spoke broadly, itching the sore spot next to his collar. "Gongmen City. What is it - like a week?"

"Try eleven days," Crane noted, sighing as he found a nearby cabinet to perch on. "It's gonna be one long ride…"

"We might have to go by boat too," Viper added.

"You sure it's eleven days, dude?" Alf questioned, standing up.

Crane huffed, pulling out a small scroll. He walked to Alf, unfurling a painstakingly-detailed map - complete with topography, natural landscapes, and markers.

" _This_ is us," Crane pointed out, putting a small feather on an embellished "X" on the right side of the map. "And this is…"

Crane traced a straight line from the right edge to the upper left, where an "O" was established - cutting through drawings of mountains, rivers, and fictionalized provinces.

"...Gongmen City." Crane finished. "See? Using the scale of the map - it'd be around 10 and a half days."

The rest of the Five nodded their heads in agreement. Po pretended to understand what Crane had just said.

"Right…" Alf agreed reluctantly. "...that's _if_ you guys take _that_ route. But if you do this…"

The rest of the Five and Po rounded upon Alf and Crane. The Seeker traced a thin finger from the "X" to the "O" - but instead of a straight line, it curved slightly up and down - through more mountains, and avoiding the province altogether. Alf also drew the path more sea-faring, with more of it crossing larger stretches of water.

"That's _literally_ more distance," Viper noted.

"And it takes us through more water!" Mantis noted.

There were more protests, but Alf responded to them quickly. "Guys! Guys! It'll _take_ less time. I never said it'll be shorter."

"I dunno bro," Po remarked. "Seems kinda longer."

"Po, you don't even understand what the map means," Tigress noted with a smirk.

"Yeah I do!" the panda defended quickly. "Curves are longer than straight lines. Easy!"

Alf shook his head in frustration. "Look - the path that you guys were going on - it takes you through the province, and it cuts right through the Easterly Trade Winds. It's monsoon season!"

"I'm sorry - freaking _wind_ is a factor now?" Mantis cut in.

The Five laughed, agreeing with Crane as he mimicked Alf reciting his wind argument.

"It _can_ be," Alf corrected, ignoring the chuckling. "That wind blows down and is reinforced from those tall mountains…"

Alf pointed to Crane's line, connecting it to the mountain range surrounding it.

"... your guys' speed will get cut in half. You'll literally be traveling opposite to the wind. But if you can _ride the wave_ like in my path…"

Alf traced his curved path again.

"... you go _with_ the wind, for most of it. Sure you'll have to travel a little more - but you can keep up the speed."

Crane grabbed the map in jealousy, staring at the path Alf had drawn. He was joined by Mantis and Monkey, who stared at the new path with careful discrimination. Viper slithered up to Po's shoulder, trying to get a better look at Alf.

"Alyssa, why do you even care about which way we're heading?" Tigress asked, keeping an amused but interested stare at Alf. "Shouldn't you be celebrating that you get the Palace to yourself for a month? Considering that you're _not_ going..."

"Oh I _am_ celebrating, don't worry about that," Alf fired back, smiling. "I just wanna make sure you guys don't waste time - that's all."

"Just _come_ ," Viper noted, playfully weaving around Alf's leg. "Who knows? Maybe we'd need some help…"

"Yeah, not gonna work," Alf cut across, pointing at his collar. " _This_ thing doesn't do so well around water, remember? And we have to go by sea a lot so…"

"Yeah _right_ ," Po quipped. "You're just scared of _Shifu_ getting mad…"

"That too," Alf agreed, smiling.

"We can always hide you in a bag or something…" Crane interrupted, keeping his focus on the map.

The rest of the Five laughed, going to huddle around Crane and inspect Alf's noted path. Alf took the time to usher Po a few feet away, placing a hand on his significantly larger friend.

"Dude, was it about your dad?" Alf whispered. "You know. It's his _anniversary_ and all…"

"No," Po firmly rejected, green eyes moistening for a bit before the panda turned away. "But - it felt like something. Something old."

"So you did _see_ something," Alf wondered out loud. "What was it?"

"Some weird tattoo," Po noted with a heavy breath. "I don't know - it was like this weird, red ring of circles and stuff."

Alf searched his own memory, trying to find any connection between the circles and Po's own freezing incident. It could have been pointless however, considering that he had never known much of Po's earliest years - only of his youth.

"You know, I sometimes wonder why I'm like the only panda in the Valley," Po interrupted quietly, turning to make sure the Five were still discussing over the map. "You ever seen any other pandas?"

Alf shook his head gently. "No man - but then again, I've never gone beyond the Valley."

Po chortled. "Just us then huh? Just a couple of outcasts…"

"Whatever is going on with you bro," Alf started confidently, punching Po in his large belly. "We'll find out. Don't worry. Even I sometimes - "

Alf stopped himself, about to reveal the recent string of nightmares that had been plaguing him.

Sure, there were great similarities in their experiences. But Alf felt it disrespectful to compare his nightmares - which came at random times, with no sense at all - to something like Po's thing, which seemed to be a very specific trigger. He also had no clue what exactly Po was recalling by seeing that tattoo, but he knew that it bothered the panda greatly.

"Sometimes what, Alf?" Po asked again.

"Okay fine!" Crane rejoined the conversation, shoving the map into a cabinet beside him. "We'll take your _wind-adjusted_ route…"

"You're such a freakin' nerd," Mantis proclaimed, hopping atop Alf's shoulder. "Must be a Seeker thing."

Alf smiled. "Must be."

 **. . .**

Yu's favorite time of day was night time.

She didn't know exactly what drew her to it. Perhaps it was the absence of villagers, or the cool breeze that wafted over the entire Valley, or the moonlight that bounced off every single reflective surface - water, armor, shiny buildings, glass - which made the whole area look peaceful.

But mostly, it was the isolation.

She trotted down the lone path, idly kicking small stones and pebbles away from her as the thick, uninhibited grassland emerged - characteristic of one being outside the Valley. She turned back, seeing the mild glimmers of the Jade Palace and the Valley of Peace just begin to fade into darkness. She kept her eyes forward, puzzled to find a sitting, nearly motionless figure sit atop the rock.

 _The_ rock.

"What happened?" Yu called out to the figure, stopping her pace when she was close to the boulder. "Ceiling leaking again?"

Alf smiled, a scroll clutched in between his fingertips. "Nah - just needed some space to think."

Yu hopped atop the large, spiked rock. She handed Alf a small tiffin.

" _Eat_ Alf," the fox implored. "You look hungry."

Alf turned to look at Yu, smiling gently before opening the container to see a few dumplings. He watched her ravenously devour her own dumplings, second container obviously in her hands already.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" Alf asked, raising an eyebrow.

Yu kept chewing, waiting until after the dumpling was done. "I dunno. I can _sense_ it."

Alf snorted. " _Sense_ it?"

"Sometimes you don't talk," Yu noted. "Sometimes you spend the entire day just being quiet."

Alf huffed. "Maybe I'm just a quiet guy…"

Yu gave him a bored expression.

"Po's going through some things," Alf stated, popping a dumpling into his mouth. "He won't really tell me what. I feel like the _shittiest_ friend ever."

Now the fox was growing interested. She pursed her lips and stared at the brilliant night sky - twinkling stars catching Alf's attention as well.

"Maybe he doesn't wanna talk about it," Yu argued. "A lot of people don't like being annoyed to _confide_ if they've gone through some stuff."

"Yeah but he's the freaking _Dragon Warrior_ ," Alf delivered, laughing. "If _he_ freezes when a wolf swings an ax at him… well - "

He paused, shaking off that thought.

"I just hope I can figure it out soon," Alf finished, cramming another dumpling into his mouth.

Yu grinned, finishing the remainder of dumplings in her container as she turned her body to face Alf.

"So - how's _your_ things?" she asked gently, looking at the scroll Alf still had grasped in his free hand. "Before I came - you were reading our anonymous friend's _message_ , right?"

Alf sighed, taking a bite of another dumpling. "Thought the cool air and breeze would help me out here. Just pissed me off and made me cold…"

Yu nudged Alf's fingers, silently pulling the scroll out of his grasp. "Let's see here…"

"Please don't - " Alf began.

"By _China's_ end, and by China's beginning," Yu read, ignoring Alf. "By your start, and your finish, six is there, but five should _beware_."

"Oooohhh," Alf vocalized mockingly, widening his eyes in sarcasm. "So scary…"

"If it's answers to your past that you seek, then seek _, Seeker_ ," Yu continued pointing at Alf in mock dramatism. "Or be _weak_."

Yu laughed uproariously, putting the scroll into a pocket in her garment. "Man, I liked the book so much better… actually had so much repetitive, but at least useful information."

Alf put down his container, standing up dramatically to stare at Yu. "Watch this. Here's my response…"

Yu smiled, watching Alf oscillate on the rock and gesticulate wildly, in a feigned, mystical sense.

"By my _asshole,_ and by my _eyeballs,_ " Alf started.

Yu giggled, covering her mouth with a thin paw.

"By Shifu's armpits, and by Tigress' tail…"

Yu cackled, lying down on the boulder as she clutched her stomach.

" _One_ is a number, but _two_ is a slightly _bigger_ number…"

Yu rolled over, snickering so hard that her eyes started tearing up.

"If it's being a total _dick_ you seek, then seek, _Seeker_ … or _kiss_ my right asscheek!"

Yu laughed wildly, rolling off the boulder to fall down the grassland. Alf stopped his mocking movements, smile fading as he jumped down to see if she was okay.

Yet she kept laughing, chest wheezing without stoppage.

" _A - A - Asscheek_ …" Yu let out, breathing in short bursts between laughs. "By the Scrolls - that was good…"

Alf grinned, pulling her to a sitting position. They leaned against the rock, Yu still letting out small giggles every now and then.

" _Dick_ you seek… by the Scrolls…"

"Slow down, hehe," Alf chortled. "Don't want you to choke on a dumpling or anything."

Yu smiled.

She stared more intently at Alf. Although by any sane person's metric, he was much more relaxed these days - it was with Yu that he seemed truly uninhibited. Tonight was just one of countless memories that Yu had recalled - most of which, ended with him somehow making her reel over from laughter.

And he had been remarkably accommodating of her. Despite possessing little to no information on her background (much less where she lived) - Alf was always decent, good-hearted, and respectable around her. Yu had seen him after a hard day of training, where Shifu had punished him numerous times - and at his best.

When he had defeated Tai Lung.

That no one was allowed to know about.

Yu put a paw on his hand, grasping it tightly. "You're really funny, Alf."

"I try," the Seeker replied, good-natured smile back.

Yu's eyes were unavoidably drawn to the metal collar, sitting defiantly on Alf's neck.

"Been a while since Shifu's used that on you, huh?" Yu noted, running her fingers over the cold, impassive metal.

"About a week," Alf responded quietly, extending his neck closer so she could brush her paws against the metal more. "He finds _something_ every time - I'm sure he has some _quota_ he has to meet."

Yu's eyes glazed over, sliding a finger in between the collar and Alf's neck, brushing over bare, twisted flesh. "You - you don't notice it anymore, do you?"

Alf turned his gaze to the ground, tired. "I stopped noticing it a long time ago."

Yu's throat seized. Alf hadn't shown any emotion, hadn't even raised or altered his tone, but Yu felt the need to inch closer to him, digging in both paws in between his neck and the collar.

"Maybe after we find some real stuff - um - about the Seekers," Yu began, trying to massage the damaged skin. "Maybe this all changes."

Alf gave her a genuine, completely calm smile. "If you say so - I can believe it."

Yu edged closer to him. She kept her paws around his neck and collar, running them back and forth as Alf tilted his head up and sighed in enjoyment.

She made eye contact with him. Green eyes met his brown.

A peculiar sense in her chest. Her heart felt like it was having a seizure.

She shut off her mind. Yu leaned forward, closing her eyes and gently pursing her lips.

 _THUMP._

Yu's lips made solid contact with hard rock.

"Augh! What the - " the fox let out, spitting out pebbles and dust.

She looked down on the ground, seeing Alf lay down - eyes glazed over and body completely still.

Yu stared upwards.

A large panda - with a praying mantis on his wide shoulders - stared back at the pair with giggling expressions.

"PO! MANTIS!" Yu screamed, moving to Alf's motionless body. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"In my defense, I was thinking about doing this like _waaaaay before_ ," Mantis noted. "But _Po_ wanted to see if you crazy kids would end up - yanno…"

" _Po_ ," Yu spat, voice angered. "What. The. Hell."

"I wanna take him to Gongmen City!" Po let out, whining. "And he's never gonna disobey Shifu so I just - yanno - decided to… kidnap him, I guess?"

Yu's mouth went agape.

"Which I guess makes you a witness," Mantis stated. "So - guess we gotta take 'em both!"

"Sounds fair to me," Po agreed, mischievous grin spread on his face.

"MANTIS," Yu forced, staring at the green insect approaching with great frustration. "DON'T. YOU. DARE…"

But Yu felt a pinprick of pressure on her neck, consciousness giving way to blissful sleep.

 **. . .**

"The Seeker and the fox have to go deliver food to the _Grand Council_?" Shifu questioned with interest, watching Po and the Five load up giant bags filled with food and other resources. "I - I've never heard of such a thing…"

"Trust me, it's _legit_ Master," Po noted, shoving a particularly heavy bag over his shoulders as he looked out at the rest of the Valley - standing on top of the Thousand Steps leading to the Jade Palace. "Very formal, very dignified stuff…"

Shifu watched Po struggle with the inordinately heavy bag, as the Five rounded him as they stood at the entrance, staring out at the misty white fog that always came in the early mornings. Most of the Valley was still sleeping - evident by the lack of light that one could see this high up.

"They _both_ didn't tell me before leaving," Shifu noted, voice low and angry. "This - this will lead to consequences when they get back…"

Po gulped, realizing how much trouble he had just gotten Alf and Yu into. "Uh - yeah I mean - if you say so…"

The Five had finished packing, slinging each bag over their shoulder or some key food into their pockets. Po bowed respectfully to Master Shifu, the Five following shortly afterwards as Shifu whisked his green drape behind him, gentle smile back.

"Go Po," Shifu urged, looking at the six masters with pride. "Go - and save kung fu."

"But I just _got_ kung fu!" the panda groaned.

"Debatable," Tigress snarked.

"And now - you must save it!" Shifu focused again, tapping Po on the belly.

"But how can I stop something that stops kung fu?" Po questioned, mouth agape.

"Maybe learn proper kung fu first," Tigress interrupted again.

"Remember Dragon Warrior," Shifu emphasized. "Anything is possible with inner peace. You will practice that - won't you?"

"Inner peace? Pshhh!" Po shrugged off. "I _got_ that. Don't even worry about it!"

Master Shifu smiled, momentarily distracted as Zeng flew in, urgent to deliver a message. Po watched the two discuss and walk away for a moment.

"Po!" Mantis urged. " _Ahem -_ our _bags_ are waking up…"

The panda oscillated his gaze, seeing two of the bags the Five had packed - both jilted slightly, cloth beginning to poke out.

Po spinkicked, aiming for the head of the bags.

 _WHUMP._

The bags stopped moving.

"They're gonna _kill_ you when they wake up," Monkey denoted. "You _do_ know that, right?"

Po scoffed, returning to his attentive pose as Shifu shooed Zeng away and made his way back to the group, offering a final bow.

"Go students - go and save Gongmen City!" Shifu dramatized.

"Gongmen City - you are going _down!_ I mean - _Shen_ is going down!" Po vocalized, staring at the sky meaninglessly. He turned to Tigress. "Any _witty joke_ you wanna say now, _Ti_?"

"Your fly is undone," Tigress casually answered back.

Po gasped, blushing immediately. He turned his head down.

He first realized that two paws had shoved him to the ground.

He then realized that the Five were laughing above him.

Then he realized Tigress was standing atop him, snickering mildly.

Then he realized his pants didn't even have a "fly".

"Come on big fella," Crane assuaged, patting the downed panda. "Plenty of time to win our respect back…"

Po grinned.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yay! More Shen and everyone! (And I guess my chapters have permanently been pushed past 4k+ words now...)  
_

 _Shen and the Soothsayer got some fantastic relationship moments together, that I hope to explore some more as the story progresses. It's sort of like Shifu and Tai Lung, but more respectful? IDK. I'll figure out._

 _And… AYU shippers go wild! XDXD. Never thought my fic would get a ship name, lol. But you can thank Mantis/Po for breaking up that beautiful moment._

 _One PM'er said there's lots of plotlines to keep track of - and I sorta agree? I don't want to act like this fic's all crazy complex and fancy - because frankly, I don't have the intelligence to do that. But there lots of "balls rolling" so to speak - so enjoy keeping track of them all. :D_

 _"Support is amazing!"_

 _clarifybooleanlogic = true_

 _;) (don't rage at me if it's not proper code I know nothing about programming XDXD)_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: I've decided to stick to one scheduled time for publishing - every Friday at midnight GMT - or if you're American (half-most of my viewers are) - around 5pm PST._

 _I'm mentioning midnight, Greenwich Mean Time bc I like international standards. :D (AND FFNET IS INTERNATIONAL WOOOO)_


	21. KFP 2:4

" **Journey to Gongmen City (I)"**

* * *

Barely five minutes after leaving the Valley behind, Alf had woken up.

His first impression was confusion and paranoia - Po wondered if he thought that someone had actually kidnapped him, or that it brought back memories of Alf's childhood where getting shoved into a bag unconscious was the _least_ of the Seeker's problems.

In any case, the boy woke up with a startle and ran at Po, yelling at him for a solid five minutes. No matter in which angle Po would explain the situation - that he wanted his best friend with him, that Shifu wouldn't figure it out, and that Yu was "coming along" too - Alf had only grown more infuriated. The yelling continued before a highly annoyed Monkey stepped in, knocking Alf out quickly.

So that put an end to the Seeker's quibbling for a while.

Po grimaced, gingerly carrying Alf on his shoulder. It had taken the Five, Yu, and Po just a few hours to leave the Valley behind, traversing beyond the Wu Dan mountains and scale upwards to follow Alf's path. By doing this, they had avoided a lot of neighboring provinces - but now found themselves traversing through the Wing Shunsen Desert, which compounded heat with searing sunlight to significantly exhaust all members of the Five, slowing down everyone's movement to a brisk walk. Po - endurance never that good to begin with, especially when hungry - found it especially arduous considering that he had been tasked with carrying the unconscious boy until he woke up. It didn't help that for as far as Po could see - there were gigantic stretches of scalding hot sand, overset by a relentless sun that seemed to never go away. The only true savior was the map - now firmly resting in Tigress' backpocket.

"Po," Alf sounded off, voice groggy as he bobbed up and down on Po's shoulder. "I'm awake now. You can put me d - OOF!"

Po had already dropped the boy, sweating profusely as he struggled to keep pace with the Five and Yu as they barreled ahead of him.

"Good," Po let out, breathing heavily. "You're - you're on your own now."

Alf sat up, coughing out fresh sand. He picked up some of the particles in his hands, letting the yellow grains run through his fingers with a mild joy.

 _So this is what sand feels like_ , Alf thought.

He had heard about sand. He had read about it in books. But Alf had never left the Valley far enough to get the true feeling - the scent of the fine granules as they washed over the giant sand dunes, the coarse texture they had, the mildly reflective -

"Keep up!" Tigress interrupted his thoughts, calling out loudly at least fifty feet away. "We don't have time to build pretty little sand castles!"

Alf stood up, scowling at her. Tigress continued the trek forward, perhaps the only one completely unbeaten by the heat. The rest of the Five dragged their bodies through the sweltering temperature, Yu dragging Po's massive frame along.

Alf sighed. For the millionth time in his life, he just had to play along.

 **. . .**

"Lord Shen?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm - I'm scared."

"Hmm."

The Boss Wolf was right.

The area that they were currently in was never revealed to the rest of the public. None of the wolves knew about this specific area, hidden well underneath prying eyes.

The area they were in was actually not an area at all. Shen had wrapped the Boss Wolf's eyes and knocked him out, only bringing him to attention when they had arrived at the destination. The wolf did not understand where he was, as massive stone walls surrounded him at every direction - it almost looked like a cave.

It felt untouched. Slivers of rock jutted out from the ceiling, while the stony ground held wet pools of water. There was no smell, no noise and nothing in sight.

Except _it_.

"I, I don't want to be here," the boss wolf demanded, grazing Shen's shoulder slightly. "This - this is too much."

"Quiet fool," Shen emphasized.

There was something at the center of the cave.

The thing the peacock and the wolf were staring at.

A box.

"This scares me…" the wolf whimpered.

"Shut. Up." Shen forced.

They couldn't really call it a box. It was a metal container, or rather a geometric shape nearly filling the entire cave itself, standing nearly hundreds of feet above Shen. It stuck out at odd angles, had angular edges, and a sleek finish. The metal was rusted from disuse, and there was rough ridges lining every edge of the container. In retrospect - it didn't feel like a box at all.

It looked like a ship.

But made out of metal.

In front of Shen and the boss wolf - two closed doors that lead into the "ship". It was many times taller than both spectators, almost as if it was built for giants.

"This is where you found the plans?" the boss wolf queried, shaking. "This - this is a Seeker vessel, isn't it?"

"You're a quick study," Shen observed sarcastically. "Yes - I found the cannon plans just outside this - this thing. I can't let _anyone_ know about - my secret."

"Whaddya need me for?" the wolf asked, teeth snarling. "How did you - find this?"

"I don't trust you with knowing this location," Shen emphasized. "But - there _is_ something that I need you for."

The wolf merely raised his eyebrows. The ship didn't resemble anything he had ever read, imagined, dreamt about, or could even fathom.

It looked foreign, out of place.

Out of this time.

"Plans to a weapon that can shoot flaming metal…" Shen noted, smiling. "... a weapon that brought Gongmen City to its knees. That can bring China to its knees."

The wolf nodded slowly. Shen smiled like a lunatic.

"Imagine…" the peacock elucidated slowly. "... what power lies _inside_."

The wolf shivered, the massive metal ship giving off a numb feeling to him.

"Because for months, I had a problem with this thing," Shen noted, walking closer to brush a feather against the cold metallic surface of the doors. "A _problem…_ "

"Don't touch it!" the wolf insisted, standing well away to take cover behind a boulder.

A cold voice. It thundered through the enormous cave.

Heartless.

Blunt.

Seeker.

 **[LIFE DETECTED. PROCEED WITH THERMAL SCAN.]**

"THEY'RE INSIDE!" the wolf screamed. "THE SEEKERS! THEY'RE ALI - "

"They're not alive you fool!" Shen signaled calmly. "I've _done_ this hundreds of times. Watch and learn…"

Shen pressed his feathers against an open section of glass-like paneling that appeared, frightening the wolf even more.

The cold voice came again.

 **[THERMAL SCAN COMPLETED. ACCESS DENIED.]**

The wolf stopped shaking, moving out from behind the boulder. He watched Shen with confusion.

"Who's saying that?" the wolf queried. "What does it mean?"

"The Seekers obviously built some machine that can make talking noises," Shen deduced. "As for your second question - it's obvious isn't it?"

The wolf shrugged his shoulders.

Shen scowled. "You said it yourself - this is a _Seeker_ ship. It can't let anyone but a Seeker in…"

The wolf began to understand. "Oh. Yeah! But I mean - the Seekers are all dead…"

"Yes," Shen firmly agreed. "But there _is_ something that we can do - that I didn't think of before."

The wolf gulped, feeling anxiety shoot through him.

"Come here," Shen commanded.

"No," the wolf firmly denied. "Shen, I can't…"

"Just come here fool!" the peacock forced with annoyance. "Nothing will happen, trust me…"

Shen dragged the wolf over, forcefully extending out his paw and pressing the furless underside to the glass panelling.

The wolf's body was shaking uncontrollably.

 **[THERMAL SCAN COMPLETED. ACCESS DENIED.]**

The wolf at once tore his paw away from Shen, seeing it from all angles to make sure it was still intact.

Shen seemed disappointed. "Intriguing… I thought that would work…"

" _What_ would work?" the boss wolf asked in fear.

Shen sighed. "I thought the underside of your paw - the place with no fur on it - would seem like a Seeker hand… but obviously it must need something more…"

The wolf groaned. "Can we please just get outta here? This place makes me uneasy."

Shen took a step back, looking at the mysterious metal ship once more. It stood resiliently against the entire cave, laying in the center as if it had been there since the beginning of time.

 **. . .**

"All in favor of killing Alf, say _yay_!"

"Yay."

"Yay!"

"Yay…"

"YAY!"

"Ya - well - yeah I guess yay!"

"Yay!"

"Nay?"

"Shut up Alf."

The path that the Seeker had sketched on the map proved to be more exhausting than usual. Only a few days into the journey, but sure, they were beating the time that it would have taken the group if they had followed Crane's path - but Alf's route also involved a plethora of mossy, humid jungles - one of which, seemed particularly punishing.

The grass was thick and pungent, soaking in everyone's feet as moist water came rising to the surface. A diversity of streams and cool river creeks surrounded the group, sharply contrasting against the impenetrable humidity and moisture in the air. No one had ever seen tree trunks like this - large, ovular, and sturdy brown. Even the leaves felt different - they were simply bunches of green and reds, splashed together on a never-ending root system.

So everyone had to move along - with no noise but the sound of their mushy, muddy footsteps.

Alf hopped over a narrow creek, ignoring the horde of insects that relished on seeing a creature with no fur.

"Alf," Yu asked, catching up to him. "Um - about that _night_ by the rock…"

"I'm _still_ mad at Po," Alf interrupted. "But - can't beat this view I guess. So we'll call it even."

"Yeah, but I mean before that," Yu slowly admitted. "You know. When I leaned in… and…"

Yu paused, cheeks flushing slightly.

Alf raised an eyebrow. "YOU HELPED PO KNOCK ME OUT!?"

Yu nearly tripped on a large stone. "What? No! I'm talking about when I leaned in and… and…"

Alf kept a casual stare at her, confused. Yu's mouth was open, shocked at how difficult he was making this.

"You don't remember?" Yu asked.

Alf shrugged his shoulders. "I remember sitting down next to you, and you fiddling with my collar - and then I looked down for a freakin' _second_ \- and WHAM! I get knocked out."

Yu face-palmed.

So _that_ had been the reason. Alf hadn't even realized what she was trying to do that night, with her lips and eye movements - no, he had been too busy looking at the stupid ground before stupid Po and stupid Mantis came in and screwed it all up.

"I leaned in and just - " Yu continued, at a loss for words. " - wanted to headbutt you. You know - keep your kung fu skills on - um - _point_."

Alf snorted. "Don't need your help for that. Monkey does that to me every time he sees me sleeping. Did I tell you about the time when…"

Yet Yu didn't care, mind fading.

She was shocked that such an idiotic reason had prevented him from seeing how open she was that night, and now she had the confusing position of either trying to re-engage with him, or just leave it alone. Yu wasn't even sure why she was acting so nervous - perhaps it was the public area, with the Five and Po - or perhaps - this stupid jungle was robbing her of all critical thinking skills.

Either case, she wanted to ask him again - recreate the kiss somehow - just in a better scenario.

And _not_ have anyone interfere.

"... and then Monkey just hit me with a pan!" Alf continued, not cognizant of the fact that Yu hadn't been listening. "Mind you I didn't even know the room had a pan…"

"Gimme a sec, Alf," Yu noted, rushing ahead of the slightly confused Seeker.

Yu eyed the rest of the group. Talking to Po and Mantis about this was absolutely not her intent, considering their involuntary involvement in breaking the kiss - but would Monkey suffice?

Yu shook her head, watching the master swing from branch to branch and poorly mimic bird sounds in immaturity. Monkey was great when it came to pulling pranks, or joking around - but more importantly, consulting Monkey about approaching Alf would probably lead to a leak of some sort, which would be the _worst_ thing that could happen.

Yu ducked underneath a low bundle of leaves, watching Viper slither through a thick bush ahead of her.

Viper would certainly be open to discussing this - _sensitive topic_ \- she might even help plan a special event! But there was always the risk - as with Monkey - that she might end up "spilling the beans" to Alf, which would again, be catastrophic for Yu.

And then there was Tigress, standing well ahead of the group with a confident walk forward.

Yu internally fidgeted. Talking to Tigress about romantic matters was much like talking to a brick wall about complex mathematics - expecting a response was plain stupidity.

Yet there was also the allure of total honesty, the sense that Tigress would merely offer quick advice and shoo her away…

...Or get very mad, and punch Yu into the ground for wasting her time.

The fox gulped, deciding against her better instincts. It took her thirty seconds to match Tigress' speed, already feeling out of breath. It was worth it however, as keeping up this insane pace allowed her to distance herself from the rest of the group.

"Wow Master Tigress! - Augh - " Yu let out, breathing heavily. "You sure do walk fast!"

"I am _not_ walking fast," Tigress countered, keeping her gaze fully ahead at the infinite jungle in front. "This is my normal speed."

Yu sighed. "Of course it is - must be all that kung fu, eh?"

Tigress turned her head towards Yu for a fraction of a second, raising an eyebrow in annoyance.

"Kicking and punching and running…" the fox squeaked out, gulping.

"I don't do small talk," Tigress noted, returning her stare forwards.

"Yeah, of course of course…" Yu agreed in fear. "It's just that - well I have this - um - well Master Monkey has this problem…"

"Sounds like _Monkey's_ problem then," Tigress cut across, completely impassive.

Yu sighed, trying to think about the best way to broach this. She had to somehow anonymize the scenario, but also refrain from stating it directly.

"Monkey - um - tried to do a - _Triple Dragon Spinkick_ in front of uh - Shifu," the fox slowly elucidated, shocked at how stupid yet convincing this sounded.

Yet Tigress grew a bit more interested, actually flashing a glance or two at Yu. " _Triple Dragon Spinkick?_ Never heard of it."

"Yeah yeah it's a super elite move," Yu continued the lie. "Anyways - when Monkey did this kick in front of Shifu - um - he didn't really notice."

Tigress scoffed. "It's pretty hard to _not_ notice a kick."

"You'd think so, right?" Yu agreed, rolling her eyes. "But um - Shifu didn't. And now Monkey wants to demonstrate the uh - _kick_ again. How would he um - bring that conversation up?"

Tigress pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes in deep thought. "Was the kick done via traditional stance, or Western style?"

"What?" Yu asked, confused.

"Did the kick obey the twenty-fifth scroll of kung fu? Was it aerial?" Tigress continued.

Yu slapped her forehead. The metaphor was getting away from her.

"I - uh - think so?" Yu attempted, frustrated.

Tigress stopped suddenly, shaking her head in anger. " _That's_ the problem! You know how many times I've told Monkey to _never_ try Western style? Or try to keep his attacks ground-based instead of that fancy flipping nonsense he usually does?"

"Yeah yeah, I'll tell him that - thanks Master Tigress…" Yu proceeded to move away, accepting defeat.

Tigress watched the fox walk away. She turned her stare upwards, seeing Monkey swing casually through the jungle by clambering on branches.

"Monkey," Tigress called out, voice stern. "You're on thin ice."

The yellow master merely raised his eyebrows, dangling himself from a branch in amusement.

"Why?" Monkey asked curiously.

"Don't try to backtrack your way out of this, I just heard about your little _kick_ ," Tigress noted harshly. "You pull some sloppy kung fu like that again - in front of our master - you'll have _me_ as a sparring partner for the next few weeks."

And Tigress continued forward, leaving a perplexed Monkey in her departure.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Alright I know I said new chapters every Friday but... I sort of write quick? And I have lots of downtime so... let's just change that Friday thing to more of a minimum. (Updates come at least every Friday...)_

 _The traveling part could have had SOOOO much screentime in KFP2 - yet they elected to do it in a 1 minute montage. However, considering screentime constraints and the need to get the plot going - I understand._

 _But us FF net writers - we have no such restrictions. ;) Still, I don't wanna waste too much time with it so I'll just put in some key scenes and sort of "vignette" them!_

 _Plus for my specific fic, it's a great chance to really start expanding the "universe" I'm trying to create - as well as expound on plot and characterization. :D_

 _Sapport is misspelled - butt still grate! (srry I had to vary my thanking part somehow…)_

 _As usual, new chapters every Friday at midnight GMT! (Or 5pm PST, if American...) Probably faster...  
_

 _~TW_


	22. KFP 2:5

**Disclaimer: **

_Superlong(ish) chapter below. Thought about breaking it up into two chapters - but don't wanna drag the "traveling" part for too long._

 _Feel free to slowly read over a period of time/hours/days/etc. XD. Or just blaze through it..._

 _~TW_

* * *

" **Journey to Gongmen City (II)"**

* * *

Po had never seen snow.

Well, he had _occasionally_ seen snow drop by the Valley - usually during a Winter Festival or when the weather got quite cold. The snow around him right _now_ however, was different: crystalline white, solidly placed, thick and heavy, and shrouding his entire vision like an immense white blanket. They were close to the halfway point already (based on the map, which Tigress didn't allow anyone else to keep) - so it was mainly just traversing these snowy mountains, then going through a long stretch of sea until Gongmen City.

Alf fared worse than the others, lacking fur. Through the journey, he had managed to piece together woolly mats - collected from jungle areas and lace them around wood - to manufacture an extra layer of garment around his thin vest. The cold was still formidable however, so the Five, Yu and Po had taken to wearing an extra pair of thick garments around their bodies. To an outsider, it might have seemed awkward - in the misty cold night, with heavy snowfall - eight robed figures made their way up a steep, sloping mountainside.

"Uh - guys - Alf's sort of shaking!" Yu called out, heavy scarf and dark robe nearly swallowing her voice. She was at the end of the line, clasping onto the Seeker with fear.

Alf didn't say anything. The rest of the Five stopped, Mantis in particular flashing a tight glance behind him. "How's he doing, Yu?"

The fox shivered, wrapping her scarf more tightly around herself. "Alf - Alf - you okay?"

"Argh - " Alf moaned, shaking uncontrollably. " - I'm fine. I'm fine…"

Yet he made no movement forward. Tigress snarled, stomping through thick snow until she made her way to the Seeker.

" _Hands_ ," Tigress demanded, voice unusually urgent.

Alf merely grunted underneath the heavy layers. Annoyed, Tigress forced his right hand forward, grasping and removing the makeshift glove.

Viper and Monkey gathered around, their personal robes flapping in the dense wind. Po moved closer, crowding around. Mantis and Crane made an air-drafting joke as the panda blocked the chilled breeze, but it was shut down immediately once they saw Alf's exposed hand.

It was shaking. Moving erratically.

The fingers were deep blue.

" _Shit_ ," Po uttered softly, watching Alf sag against Yu's grip. "Um - that's not normal, right? For Seekers?"

"I dunno," Mantis broke in, hopping atop Po's shoulder. "Maybe it's just the way they adapt to the cold."

Tigress narrowed her eyes, moving both paws to Alf's scarf. Again he tried fussing for a bit, but was quickly suppressed as she effortlessly opened the knot.

Po gasped.

Alf's face was blue as well. Veins were visible and running across his face. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing.

"I'm fine…" Alf kept repeating, completely unaware. "I'm fine… I'm fine…"

"You didn't think to pack some extra clothing?" Viper hissed, slapping Po's leg with her tail. "Yanno - before you _kidnapped_ him?"

"I admit that sorta slipped my mind," Po mentioned in shame. "But he's fine! Right buddy?"

Alf flashed a stupid smile, body still shaking. Tigress sighed, beginning to remove her exterior brown coat.

"Augh - you don't need to do - UUF! " Alf began, shutting up as Tigress wrapped the oversized brown coat on his smaller frame, taking a sleeve to twist around his mouth and head.

"Try not to pass out on us, hmm?" Tigress asked sarcastically.

Alf - mouth obstructed by the dense sleeve - mumbled something before nodding.

"Good girl," Tigress finished. "Everyone else - let's keep moving."

And just like that, she was back to the front of the group - lack of coat not even remotely slowing her down.

Crane watched from a distance with Po, shaking his head. "Doesn't she get cold?"

Monkey shrugged his shoulders, throwing some snow into the air in boredom. "Have you ever _seen_ Tigress uncomfortable?"

Crane chuckled, following the rest of the group up the rest of the mountain. "I wonder if she even realizes we're in snow right now…"

Another major problem had been the lack of food - the jungles had been an excellent source of leaves, roots, and bunches of fruit - nothing Po enjoyed, but it was enough to get them surviving for the next few steps. But here, in the cold wilderness of mountain ranges - there wasn't too much food sources to pry from. Water could always be boiled from snow, but solid food was difficult to come by. The Five, Yu and Alf seemed to tolerate this - Po found this near torture.

"Anyone got any extra bean buns?!" Po called out, mimicking heavy breaths. "I'm starving."

"Po," Mantis urged, still on Po's shoulder. "Literally _no one_ would say that after seeing you."

"I would…"

Po continued the march forward.

 **. . .**

The leader of Shen's wolf army had a name.

Not that it mattered. In practical matters - such as sieging a province, or killing its residents - very few people cared about what the name of their killer was, and fewer still wanted to know the identity of what many perceived to be a "grunt" in the vast battalion of wolves that Shen had managed to recruit over to his "cause".

Zhongcheng stood at the outskirts of Gongmen City, thick armor putting off the brunt of the cold breeze as he stared off at the moon.

Gongmen City's docks were always peaceful at this time, despite the foreign occupation. The area itself was huge - with sprawling, open wood planks jutting out into sea while gentle projections made their way into the water. Only a few boats were being housed right now - Shen had ordered the remainder of them to be sent off to neighboring areas, pillaging metal and destroying villagers' lives.

Zhongcheng - or Zhong, colloquially - moved to the edge of one dock, admiring the contrast between the giant metropolis that was Gongmen City, compared to the infinite expanse of cold, dark water that caught all the moonlight that was beaming down.

The wolf smiled. Despite how controlling Shen was, the numerous guard patrols he had thrown into the city, and the general disarray of its citizens - Gongmen still very much looked like China's Eden, a gigantic city with skyrise towers and overpacked buildings rather than the simple clay huts that Zhong was accustomed to pillaging.

"Hey Zhong!" came a rough voice. "Meditating again?"

The Wolf Boss turned back, seeing a younger wolf approach him with eagerness - amateur armor just barely covering his entire chest.

"No Li," Zhong answered, continuing his stare at the large sea. "Was just walking around - needed to clear my head."

"Of course you did," Li answered, walking over to the taller wolf with an annoyed expression. "I heard about the whole _Shen_ thing. Is it true? Did he tell you where the cannon plans are?"

The Boss wolf sighed. "No - no not really."

"Not _really_?"

"I ain't allowed to talk about it, alright?" Zhong forced, trying to restructure the conversation. "Leave it alone."

Li respected this, leaning against a wooden pillar nearby. "You've known him for a while, huh? He trusts you with a lotta shit man…"

Despite his best intentions, Zhong smiled. "Since I was just a cub. He used to share food with me - when no one else would."

Li blinked, confused.

"You're probably too young to know," Zhong emphasized. "But there used to be a time when wolves weren't thought of as - the most _respectable_ citizens around."

"Like the Seekers?" Li countered with interest.

Zhong scowled. "Hell no. Not that bad but - we were second-class, for sure. And unlike those damn _fleshlings_ \- no one had any good reason to hate us."

"Just untrustworthy huh?"

"Yeah…" Zhong rattled off. "I remember Shen sneaking me a little soy sauce one night, back when his mom and dad were still ruling Gongmen - heh. Bastards almost threw me into the jail for that…"

Zhong trailed off, lost in his own private memories. Invariably, that same smile came back to him - confused yet appreciative, mulling in deep thought over impressions and feelings long-since buried.

"Is it true what they say?" Li interrupted with enthusiasm. "About the pandas? Were you there?"

Zhong sighed. "I was there. I dunno how the hell it came to him but - there was some old goat lady that gave his parents and him this _prophecy_ sorta…"

Zhong paused, trying to recollect. "... it said something about some fighter - or warrior - who was black and white. Who'd take Shen down."

Li scoffed, clutching at his chest in laughter. "So our boy decides to _nix_ every panda he could find? Hah!"

Zhong's face grew weary and discontent, as if he was having trouble recalling the memories - or more accurately, hesitant to recall them.

"I was young, maybe eighteen at the time," the Boss Wolf recognized, just glancing for a moment at the red tattoo on his arm. "We organized some young cubs - same age as me, probably younger - and went to this remote village in the mountains somewhere."

Li kept an attentive gaze on Zhong, who paused yet again and looked downward.

"It was the only place everyone knew pandas lived," the Boss Wolf noted. "Only place we knew they'd be completely taken by surprise."

"And?" Li pressed.

Zhong swallowed, shuddering for a bit. "Kids. Little pandas. Babies. Shen - Shen didn't really give a shit who they were, or how old, sick, or young they were…"

" _Good_ ," Li forced, scowling. "If some damn _panda_ is supposed to stop me from doing what I want, I'd be happy to make coats out of their damn fur…"

Zhong hissed, more annoyed than ever. "None of them saw it coming. We'd come at them with spears and swords, blades and hammers… these guys were farmers and peasants, not fighters…"

Zhong moved away, covering his face. "... they didn't put up much of a fight. It was over pretty quickly."

"And you got everyone, right?" Li questioned.

"Yes yes yes!" Zhong spat, shaking a bit. "Listen, don't you gotta do patrol rounds or something?"

"Finished early," Li promptly answered. "So how'd ya kill 'em? Was it slow? Did any cry?"

"Take over Chang's patrol - heard he's sick."

"Ming already did. You see anyone fight back? Did those fat losers actually run away?"

"Li - why don't you go in and check on our food stocks?"

"We're full. Did any of those pandas survive or - "

"LI! CHECK AGAIN!"

The younger wolf looked highly offended. Zhong merely glanced away, breath coming out violently as his chest heaved.

"As you say, _Commander_ …" Li bit, walking away in confused frustration. Zhong watched the younger wolf walk away, passing through a grand archway leading out of the docks and back into Gongmen City.

He turned back to the vast sea in front of him. Zhong narrowed his eyes and frowned, wondering if that single act of mercy - the act that he wouldn't dare bring up in front of Li, the wolves, or even Shen - would come back to bite him later.

That particular panda had been too innocent. Its small green eyes and chubby cheeks made it too pure to kill.

Zhong knew back then he wouldn't be able to do what Shen had asked him - while still staring at that _one_ baby panda - the only panda in that village that had made him hesitate. He doubted he would be able to do it even today.

He hoped and prayed that the panda was dead. That something else had gotten to it.

Maybe hunger.

Maybe another creature.

Maybe the cold.

Maybe the world.

Anything.

And just then, Zhong realized that after so many years standing by Shen's side, following him unflinchingly, carrying out his orders with little reluctance or questioning - he realized that the peacock he knew long ago had been lost through the ravages of time, revenge, hatred, and egotism.

And Zhong wondered, perhaps motivated by seeing his disturbed expression displayed in the reflective water surface: whether some key part of him, some integral component to his soul - had been lost all those years ago, just like his old friend.

 **. . .**

 _..._

 _The sky was darkened. Blood fell from the clouds, drenching the Earth in moist hatred. There was a large sense of dark foreboding, the sense of inevitability._

 _He knew what that was._

 _He struggled to get back to his feet. He blinked the dust out of his eyes, seeing the same figure approaching._

 _But he knew now._

 _He knew how to beat him._

 _The cloaked figure approached._

 _He flipped to his right._

 _CRACK._

" _AUGH!"_

 _The figure had him in his hands. It stuck a hand straight through his chest, tenderly gripping the beating heart._

" _I told you," the figure breathed heavily. "It was inevitable. Colonization. Evolution."_

 _..._

"AH!"

"Alf!"

The Seeker shot up, familiar cold sweat perched on his forehead. He tried to reassess his surroundings.

The boat was still quiet - everyone except for Yu was still sleeping.

Alf breathed in relief, watching the fox smile beside him while lying down. It had been bad enough that he had slowed down the group a bit in the snowy mountains, and it had been worse that he had contracted a harsh cold that remained with him - even now, traveling in a stolen boat (Po had emphasized that he had "borrowed" it), gently gliding through the sea leading straight to Gongmen City. The cold had stripped Alf of all critical thinking skills, had made the Five bundle him up like an infant and shove him to the farthest side of the boat (perhaps fearing an infection), and leave him out of the "planning steps" of how to take Gongmen City back.

And now, he had almost woken up everyone.

Alf watched the Five and Po sleep soundly with thick blankets, in the small confines of the wooden boat - entire area gently rocking as planks collided with the sea breeze and cold water. There hadn't been much supplies in the single-masted boat - just a few bags of remaining food, the map, and a few shelves that the boat had come with.

"Nightmare?" Yu gently questioned. "Again?"

Alf scrubbed at his head, watching Yu sit up as her brown blanket fell to reveal a black nightgown. "Yeah…"

Yu grasped his hands, squeezing tightly. "Alf, you wanna see someone?"

The Seeker coughed and laughed, clutching his chest. "Like - who - ahem…"

Yu ran a paw through her cheek fur. "I don't know - maybe a healer? Someone who can - make these nightmares go away."

Alf shook his head. "It's not that serious."

"It _sounds serious,"_ Yu retorted, slightly upset. "Alf - you've been getting the same thing for _months_ now. Don't ya think it's time to get it looked at?"

The Seeker smiled, adjusting his collar to a more comfortable position. "Who'd treat someone like _me_? And what would they say? Sleep on your right side? Eat more vegetables?"

"Healers are trained in body _and_ mind," Yu emphasized. "I know! I come from a family of - "

The fox stopped, voice suddenly petrified and still.

Alf's eyes grew wide. "Yu - that's like the first time you _almost_ said something about your past!"

The fox shrugged it off - trying to refocus the dialogue. "Forget what I was talking about - let's just talk about this damn _riddle_ okay?"

Alf smiled, knowing that just getting her to slip up for a second was enough progress for today. "Why - in the hell - would I wanna discuss - that damn riddle?"

The fox winked, punching Alf lightly as he sneezed. "Obviously you're gonna be awake for the next few hours - and I am - and it's the middle of the night!"

Alf sighed. "Screw it, might as well…"

Yu watched the Seeker push aside his pillow and wait for the fox to get into a seated, legs crossed position. Alf gently placed his head onto her lap, attentiveness fading as she ran her paws through his thick hair.

Alf's cold meant that he needed an elevated, soft surface to rest his head down on - and considering that his pillow was utterly trash, Yu had sometimes had the privilege of having him rest his head on her lap.

Which thrilled the fox. It would have been an ideal scenario to re-setup the kiss (Yu still wanted a perfect moment) - but the romantic capabilities were severely limited by the Five's presence, Po's presence, and the panda's obnoxiously loud snoring. That, combined with the thoroughly musty, dark, and confined area of being inside a rocking boat - killed any moods that Yu could have hinted to Alf.

" _Mmm_ …" Alf uttered, eyes closing as Yu ran her paws through his hair. "... you could be a great masseuse, yanno?"

The fox smiled gently, trying to steer the conversation back to the riddle. "Let's just focus on this damn message…"

She had time.

She had all the time in the world.

She would find the perfect moment.

Besides, kissing a sick Alf was probably unhygienic.

"Read it," Alf whispered, eyes still closed. "Not really in the mood for - ahhh - focusing right now…"

Yu grinned, scratching at the back of Alf's neck - one of the parts that his collar made difficult to get to. She pulled out the scroll, unfurling it quietly.

 _By China's end,_

 _And by China's beginning._

 _By your start,_

 _And your finish._

 _Six is there,_

 _But five should be beware._

 _If it's answers to your past that you seek,_

 _Then seek - Seeker - or be weak._

"Lost it?" Alf queried.

Yu chuckled. "No no - just reading over it again… whaddya think _be weak_ means?"

Alf attempted to recall the line from memory, grunting. "Probably means I'm a weakling."

"I'm serious Alf…"

"I must be seriously weak…"

Yu scoffed, whispering it back to herself. "By China's end, and China's beginning, by start and finish…"

"It's classic _opposition_ ," Alf noted. "Opposition scheme. Poets use that to compare and contrast extremes… doesn't tell us shit, except that our anonymous friend sucks at poetry."

"Six is there, but five should be beware… is he talking about the Five?"

Alf sighed. "Thought about that - but who'd be the sixth? Me? Po? You? No pun intended."

Yu narrowed her eyes, twisting Alf's right ear affectionately. "Yeah - too many unknowns. I don't think he meant the Five..."

"How'd ya know it's a _he_?" Alf emphasized. "Maybe it's a _she_."

"Psssh, in your dreams, Alf," Yu rejected. "Like there's some girl out there actually _that_ interested in you…"

Yu grinned in irony, knowing he couldn't see her face.

"You think that sorta thing could happen?" Alf suddenly questioned, opening his eyes to stare up at Yu. "To someone like me?"

The fox shrugged her shoulders, trying to make herself look less suspicious. "I dunno. They say there's someone for everyone…"

Alf scowled, turning his head back down. "Yeah - yeah that's a bunch of bullshit…"

Yu felt annoyed. "You don't believe in it?"

"Most people can," Alf corrected, wheezing a bit as the cold resurfaced. "There's exceptions though."

"Like what?" Yu pressed, kneading his head a bit harder in frustration.

"Duh, Seekers," Alf immediately fired back. "Maybe if you don't have any arms or legs, that'd probably be a romantic deal breaker too…"

"Both types of people have _plenty_ of chances," Yu hissed under her breath. "Even if _some_ of them are too stupid to see it…"

"You're saying you would date a dude with no arms or legs?" Alf questioned in surprise, looking up at the fox again. "Yu - be real."

"I would!" the fox defied. "It's not about how you _look_ , Alf - it's about what's inside!"

"Haha," Alf mocked. "Good one. Also while we're _in_ Fantasyland, can we take a trip to the Mountain of _Lies_ and _Myths_?"

Yu snarled. She wasn't exactly sure why this was upsetting her - Alf's mindset made perfect sense, from a pragmatic standpoint. Considering his life experiences, encounters with all the bigoted citizens of the Valley, and overall relationship with everyone around him - cynicism was probably his defense mechanism. Yet there was something underneath it - a sense of hopelessness that she didn't understand, almost as if he had stopped bothering to believe in a lot of the stuff that would have kept any other person going.

"Wait a second- _mountains_ ," Alf interrupted. " _Mountains, mountains… Mountains!_ "

"I think that cold gave you a stuttering problem," Yu spat.

Alf sat up rapidly, snatching the scroll out of Yu's paws. "By China's beginning… end… start… finish… yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"Alf," Yu let out in anger. "If you don't _stop_ repeating the same thing like a dumbass…"

" _Mountains_!" Alf whispered, careful to make sure the Five and Po were still sleeping. "What does China begin, and end with? Mountains! What did we start our journey with, and gonna end at? _Mountains!_ "

Yu sighed. "Dude - I can think of literally a _thousand_ things that work too. Rivers, land, people - the riddle's too vague to be answered like that."

Alf huffed. "Look at the background art for the scroll."

Yu squinted, seeing a variety of zigzagging shapes go up and down, like inverted triangles.

"That's just the background art," Yu cut across. "I mean - I _guess_ it _kinda_ looks like some mountains if you - "

" _Yu_ ," Alf begged. "Just trust me on this - I got a feeling."

"Okay let's say we just believe in your crazy theory for a second," Yu entertained. "How the hell does that explain the rest of the poem?"

"Six is there, but five should be beware," Alf repeated. "Those are the fifth and sixth lines of the poem. It's telling us to ignore those two lines, basically. To be _beware_ of getting mislead by those."

Yu tried her best to suppress a massive laugh. "Alf - you sound like a total lunatic right now!"

"Answers to my past that I seek…" Alf paraphrased from the riddle, ignoring Yu's criticisms. "I gotta seek it - or be weak. Hmmm… that part still doesn't make sense…"

"Your whole explanation made no sense," Yu giggled. "Come on, lie back down - I think you're getting some kind of fever."

Yu attempted to press a paw to Alf's forehead, but he smacked it away.

"Oh come on! The mountain imagery and my explanation - you're saying it made no sense?" Alf reiterated. "You don't think there's some truth to that?"

Yu sighed. "Whatever Alf. _Maybe_ , okay? For now lemme just - yanno - get you to lie down. You're wheezing."

Alf was completely unaware of how shallow his breathing had become. He allowed her to force him down, waiting for her to start combing his thick hair back.

"Mountains, mountains, mountains…" Alf repeated, eyes closing once more as he started fading. "I'm onto something - I know it…"

Yu smiled.

"Ah!"

Yu sighed, noting that for the _second_ time - Po had interrupted something.

Alf watched the panda shoot up with fear, reaching out randomly. Po quickly stood up, observing Alf and Yu's confused expressions.

"Sorry guys…" Po emphasized quietly, making his way through the cloth tarps leading to the outside of the boat.

Alf pursed his lips in thought. "Sounded like he just woke up from a nasty dream."

"Maybe he got your nightmare," Yu countered with a smirk.

 **. . .**

"Radish, radish, radish… screw my life…"

Po felt like ramming himself into the boat mast. Of all the stupid, idiotic dreams he could have had, this one by far was the dumbest.

A radish.

His parents?

Why did he fight with it?

Why did the radish win?

What the hell was he doing in a dream - fighting a damn _radish_?

He breathed in cool sea breeze. It was midnight, so hopefully aside from Alf and Yu - no one else had been awoken by his stupid nightmare. He had lost track of how far it was to Gongmen City - but it must have been quite far, since Po still saw nothing around him except their humble boat, overset by infinite stretches of bouncing blue sea - waves gently brushing against the boat's underside. The moon even seemed bored by the situation, beams of light only superficially scattering across the water's surface.

Po walked to the edge of the small boat, huffing at the bags of food that the Five had forbid him from eating until they got to the city.

 _Drip_.

The panda stared behind him, seeing the mast of the boat let water droplets fall to the wooden flooring.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Hmmm…" Po wondered.

The panda walked underneath the mast, feeling an idea suddenly hit him.

"Inner - peace…"

 _Drip._

"Argh!" Po let out, feeling a droplet of water smash into his head. "Inner… peace…"

The panda tried to mimic the movements Shifu had shown him, spreading his legs in a quiet stance while he made twirling motions with his arms.

 _Drip._

"Ergh - Inner.. "

 _Drip._

"Inner…"

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Po's cheeks fluffed up, eyes bulging out of his head. Every single instinct in him wanted to scream out loud, but he suppressed this after realizing how easily this would wake up the Five.

"Too late to be out right now."

Po swiveled in place, seeing a calm Tigress emerge from behind the thick tarps leading inside the boat's sleeping chambers.

"Yeah," Po noted, sighing. "Sorry about that…"

"Practicing inner peace?" Tigress questioned, walking behind the large panda.

"Yeah…" Po responded slowly. "... tryna make something work right, I guess…"

"Paws."

Po raised an eyebrow. "Paws?"

"Paws," Tigress repeated, clasping Po's arms to raise them up. "Smooth motions."

The panda watched her make the same movements Shifu had made, but it was much more calm than his - more relaxed, less forceful.

"Wait wait!" Po interrupted. "You know how to do the inner peace thingy?"

Tigress frowned mildly, voice unusually gentle. "No - I um - never managed to figure that out."

Po laughed. " _You_ couldn't figure out a _kung fu_ move? Is that even possible?"

Tigress smiled at his indirect compliment. "It's not a _move_ , Po - inner peace is a state of _being_."

"Well you're good at _being_ the best kung fu master I've ever seen," Po let out, fanboy-like enthusiasm beating him. "Can't think of anything you haven't mastered…"

Tigress turned her gaze down, seemingly upset with herself over something. Po wanted to ask her what, but wasn't given the opportunity to do so - Tigress had already encouraged him to mimic her movements.

"Smooth," she commanded, watching Po jerk around for a while. "Smoother."

Po grunted, feeling his elbows lock up and ears prick up at the incessant dripping sound. "I'm trying, I'm trying…"

Tigress grasped both his paws, making the movements for him. "Smooth now…"

Po felt her slow down his arm movements. He also understood the pressure she was applying on his forearms now - the resulting movements felt more natural, more calm - almost as if he wasn't doing a move at all.

"Let your body do the talking," Tigress quietly mentioned. "Let it guide your movements."

Po couldn't help but laugh. "It's so weird yanno? Seeing you teach and be not hardcore and stuff…"

Tigress moved away, narrowing her eyes at him. "Hardcore? I don't understand."

Po snickered. "I mean - like not kicking _butt_ all day. Just being relaxed and - and just _normal_!"

"You don't think I'm normal?"

"Of course not!" Po immediately responded, eyes widening as he saw her expression depress minutely. "I mean - in a good way! Like - you're so badass that being normal is like - _beneath you_. You don't feel anything!"

Tigress' expression didn't change. She took a step back, turning her gaze down even further. "I see…"

"I _don't_ mean it like that," Po urged, anxiety spiking. "I just mean that you're so hardcore that you can't really get hurt, or tired, or sick…"

"You mean I can't _feel_ anything," Tigress summarized, voice still unusually quiet.

"Yeah! I mean - " Po started, wondering how to adjust this tone. " - I mean throughout the whole time we've been on the road, you don't get hungry, tired, or cold…"

Tigress offered a gentle, but still forced smile. "So why are you here?"

Po breathed a sigh of relief, happy to be off the misguided conversation. "I'm practicing inner peace."

Now Tigress' trademark smirk came back. "And I'm about to raid the dumpling box!"

Po felt confused. "What?"

"Aren't we playing the _who's worse at lying_ game?" Tigress retorted, walking closer to the panda. "Po - why are you _really_ out here?"

The giant panda sighed, sitting down hard as he ran a paw along the side of the boat, feeling cold water brush past and soak his fur.

"I don't know," Po finally mentioned. "I had this dream."

Tigress kneeled down next to him, tilting her head to the side in curiosity. "Nightmare?"

"Sort of," Po half-agreed. "I was fighting - fighting this radish. And the radish won!"

Even though she was clearly trying her best to be empathetic, Po could clearly see the edges of Tigress' mouth just begin to curve up.

"Did - did the radish _win_?" Tigress asked, smile betraying herself.

"Okay this is stupid…" Po huffed, beginning to stand up before Tigress forced him down again.

"No, I mean - what else happened?" Tigress tried again, fully sitting down now. "Was there anything else?"

"My parents," Po simply stated. "They were pandas. Both."

"Mr. Ping?"

Po gulped, throat tightening. He began to look away, covering both of his eyes as they began to redden. Tigress seemed to understand her mistake, inching closer to him to lay a paw on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she quietly spoke. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I just thought…"

"His birthday - or I guess - anniversary was some days ago," Po let out, mild sniffle emerging.

Tigress smiled kindly. "Yes. I know."

"I keep thinking - what if we'd just managed to see Tai Lung coming _sooner_?" Po questioned, shaking his head. "What if somehow - we just…"

Po became silent again, sniffle returning more strongly. Tigress blinked - vivid and painful memories coming back.

"I know he like - _tricked_ you and the Five into thinking he was a guard or something," Po interrupted, surprising Tigress. "But - I can't shake off that feeling that somehow I'm - I wasn't there…"

Tigress remained absolutely silent, guilt forcing through her.

If she hadn't gone out to face Tai Lung, Po's father would still be alive.

If she and the Five hadn't fallen for such an idiotic disguise - Mr. Ping would still be alive.

If she had somehow managed to reel in even a tiny bit of her ego - Mr. Ping would still be alive.

"It's not your guys' fault," Po whispered, reading her expression perfectly. "It's just - I dunno. I feel like I'd have more _answers_ if he was still, yanno…"

"Answers to what?" Tigress noted, choosing to speak now.

Po sighed, removing his paw from the water before shaking the residual moisture off. He leaned his head back against the tall mast, taking two thick fingers up to his brows to rub them harshly. He took the time to look back at Tigress, who still sat patiently next to him - observing all of his movements with intense dedication. It surprised Po greatly that she was even out here, talking: the panda had never seen her interact with anyone else to this degree - except Alf - but that was mostly teasing, and she had shown a considerable interest in trying to wrangle the truth from Po.

"Answers to all the dumb stuff that's been on my mind," Po breathed. "Red, ringed tattoos. Nightmares. The peacock. My parents… _Dad_ …"

He paused, shutting his eyes. "... feels like I'm losing my mind."

Po felt a warm paw touch his shoulder again, clasping it tightly. He turned to see Tigress' face change - from understanding, to somber.

"I was an orphan," Tigress denoted slowly. "I - I was at a place called Bao Gu."

Po felt shocked. "You - you didn't know your parents, either?"

Tigress smiled sadly. "First memory I had - breaking the floorboards and toys in that place."

She chose to relax more now, eyes lost in deep thought. " _The monster_ … great nickname to have as a kid…"

Po sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"But I learned to live with it," Tigress finished, staring at Po more firmly now. "I learned to live with the fact that - sometimes, we don't get to know everything."

Po stared back at her. "You - you think I won't know what happened? I won't be able to find out?"

Tigress shook her head. "I'm saying we might not always find out _everything_."

Po hesitated, unsure of how to agree with this. A small part of him did end up agreeing, but the rest of him felt that this seemed too depressing - to live, consciously knowing some things were never meant to be, some things were never meant to be understood.

"You think Allison spends the day worrying about _her_ past?" Tigress offered.

"Allison, heh - is that like your _favorite_ nickname for him?" Po fired back, smiling.

" _Her_ ," Tigress corrected sarcastically. "And - _yes_."

"He's different though," Po immediately returned. "He - I mean - I don't even think it's _possible_ for him to figure out anything… but for me, I feel like - like I could get something! Talk to someone, anything…"

Tigress nodded her head. "Of course. You might find some answers Po - just don't expect to know everything, or even understand everything… learn to be okay with - _not being okay_."

Po blinked at her, unusually comforted by this. It felt uncomfortable, actually - but the way Tigress was making it seem - it seemed like a natural process of life, as if it was something everyone went through.

No one knew everything.

And even if he didn't - Po knew he would always have a family to keep him grounded in the present.

"Thanks Ti," Po breathed, smiling broadly at her. "You - I would have _never_ expected all that, coming from you."

Tigress smiled, but it was a bit sad once again. "Maybe the hardcore _can_ understand…"

Po seemed to sense something rare in her - something he hadn't seen in all of the two years he had known her personally.

Vulnerability.

He had to take advantage of it.

"So - is that why you can't _do_ inner peace?" Po questioned softly. "Because - because of some things in your past…"

Tigress' face was unreadable, but she crossed her arms over her bent knees and clasped. Po found himself intensely captivated by her orange eyes, guard completely down as the eyelashes drooped slightly. It felt open and honest, a position he had never seen her in before, and Po couldn't help but have his heart beat a bit quicker.

He _knew_ that feeling.

Knew _exactly_ what it was.

But he needed to suppress it - to make sure it wouldn't ruin the moment.

He would let it out. Tell it.

In time.

"It's - " Tigress started. "I was - "

"So whaddya guys talking about?"

Po felt infuriated, seeing Mantis frame pop into view as he leaped onto his shoulder. The panda internally groaned as the rest of the Five made their way out of the tarp - Crane idly moving forward and yawning, while Viper and Monkey seemed to already be stretching and shifting around.

And Tigress' previous position was gone. She was already standing up again, face back to the plastic stalwartness that she exuded so often, and so well - none of the Five seemed to even notice.

Po observed that Mantis had now broken up two intimate moments - first with Alf and Yu, and now with himself and Tigress.

 _Intimate moments_? Po asked himself internally. _I need to stop using that word…_

"I'm sorry, were you guys _love-talking_?" Mantis urged, giggling. "Confiding your deepest, darkest secrets?"

"Mantis, you're a total _buzzkill_ ," Po whispered in annoyance.

"Tell her how you feel yet?" Monkey broke in, cackling underneath his breath. "You only get one - "

"Would you shut up?" Po hissed.

"Po."

"What?" the panda replied in frustration, then reeled it back as he understood that it was Tigress who had uttered his name.

Po's mouth fell wide. He made his way to the front of the boat, wood creaking as the rest of the Five followed him. They formed a circle behind Tigress - who was staring intently ahead.

In front of all of their vision, a gentle streak of sunlight was just beginning to break - dawn was incoming. The cascading light rays bounced off the thick water, parting across each other to illustrate a gigantic, massive group of structures - way off in the distance. Po could make out a large wall at the area's exterior, but also huge towers, a never-ending stream of buildings, and a rough line of wood that seemed like a dock. The entire region - which stretched from Po's left field of vision all the way to his right - seemed enormous.

It looked like all of China had been compressed into one city.

"We're here," Tigress declared.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Ahh…. a SUPALONG (I think like 6k+ words? XD), chunky, meaty chapter with LOADS of plot stuff. I love writing these kinds of things._

 _One thing I wanted to demonstrate is the conflict of "pasts" for everyone - everyone has some dark sh** that they don't know/wanna know. Zhong, Yu, Alf, Tigress, Po - there's always something that seems to put people off - but I think Tigress' line about being "okay" with "not being okay" was a good line to write about it - thematically, anyways._

 _I don't have much else to say. Enjoy following up! One thing I wanna try to do is make sure everything seems progressive - I try not to "forget" about plotlines or make anything seem like filler - I try to make every single line for: characterization, description, or advancing a plot idea. I also try to make callbacks and references, to make sure there's a good sense of continuity going. Feel free to re-read earlier chapters to make sure you're catching everything!_

 _(Note: Even I actually had to do that - I nearly forgot about Mantis knocking Alf and Yu out, but re-reading allowed me to get better continuity and insert that funny little "Mantis is a buzzkill" joke in there!)_

 _Support? Simply phenomenal. :D_

 _And THIS time, chapter updates might actually come by next Friday 12:00 GMT - or before. IDK. I like writing. :)_

 _~TW_


	23. KFP 2:6

" **A Rude Welcoming"**

* * *

"Please… please… please…"

"Stop whining," Shen smoothly commanded, shaking the sheep's head. "When I say - _all your metal_ …"

Shen brought his feathers down in a flurry, slapping the crying sheep's head between every single word.

"I - mean - ALL!"

The female sheep, brown garments clattering in front of her, fell to the floor of the Palace's Throne Room. Shen had at least afforded her some measure of privacy - aside from herself, the Soothsayer, and the intimidating wolf that stood against the back wall - Shen had chosen to punish the sheep in relative obscurity, rather than beating her around in front of the citizens.

"We - we - we've given all - our - pots and pans…" the sheep whimpered, clutching her reddened face. "We - we don't have - anymore…"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Shen roared, launching forward to tug at the sheep's brown garments. "YOU RAN THE METAL FACTORIES FOR MASTER RHINO BEFORE!"

"It - was - just for pots and pans…" the sheep begged, fully crying now. "He never let me - store more metal than was - necessary."

"Well it _is_ necessary now," Shen spat, slamming the sheep down against the marble flooring. "Honestly, the nerve of you people…"

The peacock gently tucked his feathers behind his back, walking to the silent wolf. "Zhong - take care of her."

"NO!" the sheep screamed, blood loosening from her mouth. "NO NO NO! PLEASE! PLEASE!"

Shen covered his ears in disgust. "Do it quietly - and out of the city. She's well-known, so people will start asking questions if her body is found…"

The Boss Wolf gulped, staring down at the floor.

"Zhong?" the peacock noted, snapping two of his metal knives dangerously together. "Are you listening?"

"NO! NO! NO! NO! PLEASE I'LL DO ANYTHING! I'LL DO ANYTHING… LORD SHEN PLEASE…"

"Hard not to," the Boss Wolf retorted, still looking down. "Lord Shen - maybe we could - "

Yet when the Boss Wolf stared up, the peacock's gaze quickly disarmed his planned request. "Uh - never mind. Right away sir…"

"I can always count on you," Shen smiled eerily. "A friend to the end, that's what you are…"

"Please… Please… I'll find more pots… I'll find more pots…"

"Yeah…" Zhong grunted, moving to the sheep. "Come here."

"NO! NO NO! I - ERGH!" the sheep attempted, but was quickly silenced by Zhong covering her mouth.

"Quiet down," Zhong bluntly stated. "You're only making this worse."

The Wolf Boss hoisted the sheep over his broad shoulder, making his way to the stairway leading down the Tower.

The old goat - shocked into complete silence until now - watched the pair disappear down the steps. She turned to Shen, who was busy admiring the metal curvature of the massive cannon sitting in the middle.

"Such power…" Shen whispered. "... made out of something so - _simple_."

"You want to know my _new_ prophecy?" the old goat mentioned quietly, voice dangerously low.

"Warrior of black and white," Shen replied in boredom, still fascinated with the cannon. "Panda. Maybe a rotten dumpling. Who cares? Don't you get bored of mentioning the same thing over and over again…"

The old goat laughed savagely, face uncharacteristically malicious. "Oh _noooooo_ my boy… not at all…"

The peacock snarled, shoving the aged goat to the ground while he pointed a blade at her exposed neck. "Do _not_ call me that - I am not a - "

"I _prophesize_ ," the goat let out, chest heaving in manic happiness. "That when you lose - and you _will_ \- you'll lose everything you hold dear. I prophesize that when you lose - you'll _wish_ you were dead."

"Ha!" Shen spat, eyes glaring. "And who's destined to defeat me - who's destined to _kill_ me?"

"You don't deserve to die," the Soothsayer mentioned. "No - you deserve _pain_ …"

Shen's head shook with anger. His eyes were burning daggers into the Soothsayer's eyes, completely still and infuriated. He was fidgeting like a madman.

Then the goat saw it.

Saw just a _flicker_ of what she knew was the young boy underneath all the bravado.

"I've already had my share," Shen whispered, removing his blade from the goat's neck - walking to the cannon again.

And the boy was gone. The Soothsayer sobbed on the floor, at a complete loss for what felt like the millionth time.

 **. . .**

Gongmen City.

Nothing like home.

Nothing like the Valley.

It wasn't just the center of China.

It was the heart.

Po grimaced, feeling a cool breeze just begin to brush past him. For about five minutes, he and the Five had simply spent the time admiring the view - for across the cascading seawater, nestled on a gigantic island that seemed as big as China itself - Gongmen City stood. It felt proud and high, as early dawn sunlight just washed over the tips of a few towers and tall buildings in the distance. It almost seemed like the sun itself was gracing the city - with the rest of the world, their boat, the sea - all in darkness. But Gongmen City was supreme and everlasting, with no hint of foreign occupation to take away from its amazing glamor.

It was almost as if the city _wasn't_ being ruled by a murderous peacock who had killed everyone in the Masters' Council.

Almost.

"Ergh, whasha - " came a weak, strained voice. " - are we there yet? Sorry - throat a little dry - _oh_."

Evidently, the new voice had been Alf.

The Seeker rejoined the group, closely followed by Yu.

Alf's mouth fell open. He had seen pictures of Gongmen City before they had embarked from the Valley, but nothing could compare to seeing it in full view - the mere thought that they had to go inside this brilliant landscape and _save_ it felt almost extraordinary.

"Everyone see that?" Tigress called out at the front of the group.

Alf moved closer, trying to inspect what she was pointing at.

Out of the corner of his vision, with still a large expanse of water away from their boat - a dock was just beginning to jut out of the thick, foggy atmosphere. Though the distance between the boat and the dock still felt considerable, Alf gulped as he saw at least twenty shadows moving in the fog and on the dock - with several, glittering, shiny metal objects sticking out from their sides.

Wolves.

The only fortunate thing was that the dock seemed relatively insulated from the rest of Gongmen - a series of massive archways were the only way to lead into the stone-walled city - and aside from those entrances, the wolf soldiers felt fairly disconnected from possible reinforcements.

"Time to kick _butt_ ," Po sounded off, grinning while he smashed his fist into his open paw. "Kung fu time! Here we - "

"Po shut up!" Crane rejected immediately. "There's a lot of them!"

"Big deal, we can take 'em - " Mantis agreed with the panda, hopping onto Po's back as they both stared straight ahead at the impending dock. " - I mean - we took them all on last time."

"I don't know about this guys…" Viper noted quietly, tail curled up in anxiety.

"They look tougher than the ones we attacked back at the Musician's Village," Monkey observed. "Maybe we do a sneak attack?"

Alf and Yu walked closer to the front of the boat, pushing past most of the Five and Po.

The Seeker narrowed his eyes. Personally, he didn't see how a sneak attack would be feasible under this situation - they had already become too close to the docks, and it was just a matter of time until the wolves would start to realize that the foreign boat was coming in. Still, attacking right now was probably worse - they still had a few hundred feet of water between the boat and the docks, so the wolves could probably send in reinforcements well before the boat lands.

Twenty wolves could become fifty, hundred - two hundred. It wasn't worth it.

"We're baiting them," Tigress declared after a brief pause.

The rest of the Five took a second to nod, but shook their heads in agreement quickly. Po however, felt confused.

" _Baiting_ them?" Po queried. "Meaning - what?"

"Hide inside the boat's sleeping quarters," Crane filled in. "Yeah - that'd give us the most time."

"We land on the docks," Mantis continued. "Then the wolves step onto our boat and - WHAM!"

"We can probably cut them off before they call for reinforcements," Monkey concluded. "I like it! Better than Po's _swim to them_ and beat them up plan…"

The panda scowled at the giggling master.

" _Experience_ , Po," Tigress calmly assuaged. "You'll get more of it as you keep fighting alongside us."

She moved to the back of the boat, beginning to lower the mast's flag. "Everyone else - as soon as we take out those wolves, we need to move into the city - quickly."

"Yeah, we don't know how well Shen has the city guarded," Mantis noted. "It won't take those idiots long to realize twenty wolves just stopped reporting in."

" _Fine_ we'll go with your plan Ti…" Po sighed.

The docks were rapidly approaching. There must have been just fifty feet of water separating them from the docks. The fog shielded them for a bit, but only to a certain degree.

"As soon as we get inside the city, we can worry about figuring out where Shen is," Tigress offered. "Let's move."

A burst of movement. Po watched in typical fanboy enthusiasm as Mantis dug himself into a nearby bag of food, hiding underneath thick rice kernels. Crane and Monkey had already disappeared behind the tarp leading into the boat's sleeping quarters, while Viper hopped inside an empty barrel rolling on the boat.

Po could see the outline of a painted symbol from the dock's edge.

Red rings.

The panda involuntarily gasped, seeing images convulse in his head.

 _Crying._

 _A baby._

 _A wolf._

 _A blade stopping inches from his face._

 _More crying._

"Po!" Tigress interrupted, shaking him roughly. "What are you staring at?!"

"Sorry…" Po blubbered out, seeing Tigress' face doubt him severely. He ran quickly past the tarp, electing to stay hidden in the sleeping quarters.

"Now as far as you two _lovebirds_ … " Tigress started, watching Alf and Yu at the front of the boat. " _Yu_ \- you're going to stay in the sleeping chambers until we get back."

" _What_?" the fox let out, annoyed. "I can hold my own! I can - "

"You don't know kung fu," Tigress simply rejected. "Until we come back - with Shen in acupressure cuffs - you're staying _inside_ the boat."

"And how long will _that_ take?" Yu fired back.

"Not long, if we do everything right," Tigress concluded. " _Go_."

The fox grumbled for a bit, making her way past the tarp as well.

The fog was beginning to clear. Tigress could observe the wolves just beginning to talk with each other, vaguely aware that a boat was approaching - but not knowing what was on it.

Yet.

"Ariel…" Tigress started.

"Yeah I know I know..." Alf cut across, walking to the tarp. "Wear the black jumpsuit, pretend I'm not fighting with you guys, only start fighting sixty seconds _after_ you guys do, pretend I'm not - "

But she caught his hand before he could push past the tarp.

"It's not - " Tigress started, voice a tiny bit sympathetic. " - I know every time you do this, it probably makes you feel terrible… but it's not because of _what_ you are. It's just the way China _is_ right now."

She sighed, eyes falling to his collar.

Alf gave a weak smile back. "I know. I understand."

He gently moved his hand out of Tigress' grasp, brushing past the tarp and seeing the confusion inside the cramped sleeping quarters.

Po - giant body nearly taking up the entire back half of the chambers - squashed himself against the thick wood backing. Monkey and Crane were positioned to the panda's sides, resting on the hard flooring with their ears pricked up for movement. The only exception was Yu - huffing furiously while leaning against the wooden sides. A pair of long black garments were in her paws.

Alf smiled, approaching her.

"Here's your stupid _camo_ outfit," the fox smirked, throwing Alf the garments.

"I told you they look bad," Po sounded off quietly. "Plus they make your chest look all _slim_ and _sucked up_ …"

"I think he looks _hot_ ," Crane muttered with a snort. "Po - you're just upset everytime you wear something - it bulges _out_."

"Shut up Crane…" Po retorted immediately.

"Yeah Seekers are built sorta weird, to be honest," Monkey giggled silently. "Slim but structured, broad up top but narrow in the middle…"

Crane, Monkey and Po began a hearty group chuckle, rocking the boat ever so slightly. Alf had already pulled on his garments, choosing to keep the pull-down mask off for now - after all, he had more time than the rest to get ready.

"I stopped growing at fourteen - and I'm twenty now!" Po declared. "I always wondered when Alf would stop growing… I heard their _development_ is kinda slow."

"Po you _never_ stopped growing," Monkey snickered, prodding the panda's belly.

More suppressed laughter. Alf grinned, turning to Yu. "Whatchu think Yu? I look _hot_?"

The fox blushed almost immediately. Yu's eyes fell to Alf's shoulders, peeking at them just begin to bulge out of the tight black garments. It tapered down finely to his small waist, creating an odd V-shape pattern. Yet he still had the same goofy smile and dark black locks streaming down his head, hazel eyes twinkling in pure amusement.

Seekers _were_ built weird.

Weirdly _hot_.

"Meh, four outta ten," the fox replied sarcastically, watching Alf squeal in laughter.

"How much am I?" Monkey queried immediately.

"Three."

"Screw you."

"Hey, hey!" Po interrupted, sticking his chest out. "Me?"

Yu suppressed a wide smirk. "Po - you're a _slammin'_ nine…"

The panda fist-pumped in victory. "I'm the _hottest_ Dragon Warrior of all time…"

"She was being _facetious_ , Po," Crane corrected.

"Bless you," Po replied quickly, word completely going past his level of vocabulary.

"Hold up," Monkey broke in, bending down. "I hear something…"

Everyone lied down.

The noises were real. They seemed to be coming from the outside of the tarp - and within another few moments, everyone could feel the entire wooden structure rock slightly as it collided with the edge of the dock. A flurry of voices followed - but they didn't seem alarmed yet.

Only curious.

Footsteps. From what Alf could deduce, no alarms or calls for reinforcement could have been sounded off yet - and the footsteps began to grow in size and number. A few voices, characteristically wolf-like and growling, emerged from beyond the thin tarp masking the outside.

"What the hell - _Wing!_ This your boat?"

"Negative sir…"

"Where's the sailors?"

"Who authorized this?"

"Anybody here? This is Lord Shen's Imperial Guard - answer me!"

Everyone in the chambers still kept quiet. Usually when they were planning an attack like this, there would be an obvious sign given off to strike - a sound, a movement, perhaps a cry.

"NOW!"

Or Tigress' command.

Alf watched Po burst outside the tarp with dizzying speed. Crane and Monkey followed quickly, nearly tearing the tarp right in half. The Seeker smiled, hearing the onslaught of noises come from outside.

The angry cries of a praying mantis.

Fists against steel.

Wolves beginning to howl - then suddenly stopping as if someone had punched their throats.

Tigress' intimidating battle roars.

Po's belly banging against wood and hard metal.

Yelps of pain.

"I never understood why you gotta _wait_ for a while before jumping in," Yu observed, casually hearing the chaos outside. "Don't the black garments sorta mask what you are anyway?"

Alf sighed, scratching the black hood hanging below the back of his head. "Shifu's idea. I guess he's being _ultra-careful…_ Scrolls _forbid_ a soul knowing that the Jade Palace works with the _scum of the Valley_ …"

"You've slipped up before though," Yu playfully nudged. "Remember that time when the Five, Po and you fought Temutai in _Wu Dan?_ "

Alf groaned, recalling the memory. "My mask slipped up _once_. It was barely anything…"

"Yet it made it to Valley news scrolls!" Yu recollected, eyes glazed over in fond nostalgia. " _Scum of the Valley -_ real, or fake?"

"Like a damn urban myth," Alf smiled. "I half-expected that stupid fortune cookie lady to interview me… what's her name?"

"Ms. _Li_ ," Yu snarked. "She's such a conspiracy theorist, oh my Scrolls…"

"Yeah - her. Maybe I _should_ give an interview... " Alf paused, waving his hands around. "... Top Ten Hottest Bachelors: featuring the scum of the Valley!"

Yu smiled genuinely. And just then, she realized it.

The moment was there. The Five were outside fighting some wolves. Po was well away, completely oblivious to the situation.

They were in a dark, enclosed area.

Just the two of them.

She _had_ to do it. She had to kiss him.

"Looks like I've given the gang a good buffer now," Alf noted. "See ya in a bit."

Before the fox could protest, the Seeker slapped on his mask - then rushed out of the tarp. Yu proceeded to face-palm herself repeatedly.

Alf burst out, feeling warm sunlight hit him immediately. He took mere moments to process his surroundings, world acutely visible through the two black slits in his face mask.

The dock seemed larger than usual. About half of the bandits were laying unconscious on the boat, with the other half engaged with fighting the Five and Po on the wooden docks. Alf was satisfied to note that the entire group was _well_ away from the archways that lead inside the City.

The Seeker rushed forward, hopping over some bodies to land on the wooden dock.

A blade came searing for his jugular. Alf ducked, grabbing the wolf by his front chest armor and delivering a punch straight to his face - rendering him unconscious.

Another whizz above him. A wolf had jumped in the air, fangs stretched and metal hammer swinging down towards Alf.

The Seeker grinned, leaping atop Po's expectant back to launch in the air - cleanly sidekicking the bandit into the water.

Just four more bandits remained. Mantis and Crane were tackling an especially quick wolf, armed with rotating blades - while Viper, Monkey and Po were occupied with a pair of wolf twins… Viper of course remarking on how cute they were, before smashing them with her tail.

Only Tigress fought alone at the far side of the docks, engaging a hulking beast of a wolf - several feet taller than her - who was pinning her to the ground.

Alf barreled forward, swiveling in place to kick straight forward.

The hulking wolf shifted a tiny bit, but it was enough for Tigress to break out of the pin and grab the massive wolf's head and slam it down to the ground.

Alf recoiled, bouncing back as Tigress slid next to him.

The huge wolf stood back up, growling as he pulled out a hammer and a shield from his back armor.

"Spinning Death Dragon," Tigress silently motioned.

"Why does everything have to be about _death_ and _dragons_?" Alf remarked, side-flipping to avoid the wolf's hammer. "Why can't we just _once_ call it like - _Chocolate Rose Storm_ \- or something…"

"Your femininity knows no bounds," Tigress responded, flipping back to latch onto Alf's hands. "Go!"

Tigress spun Alf around with dizzying velocity, letting him go in a flash. Alf soared forward, extending both feet in front of him at the unaware wolf.

The feet crushed into the massive soldier's chest, but it didn't launch him backward - which was perfect. Alf used the momentum to swing his upper body downward, tugging at the wolf's head to bring him at an angle - then used all his strength to kick him up into the air.

Tigress completed the motion - already in the air to bring down a double hammer fist on the massive wolf's head.

He crashed to the wooden dock, and stopped moving.

Alf smiled, noting that with that - all the bandits were unconscious. Yu had appeared with the rest of the Five and Po, all of whom rejoined Alf and Tigress. They collectively stared at the grand three archways that allowed entry into the stone-walled city behind them - every building at least thirty feet tall, from what they could tell.

"Good work everyone," Tigress mentioned.

"Yeah good work everyone," Po repeated, standing next to her.

"Now we need to focus on safely staying disguised in the city - "

"Yeah we need to hide our movements," Po repeated again uselessly. "Be all _mystical_ and kung-fooey…"

" - And finding out where Shen is." Tigress finished.

"Yeah then we find out where - "

"Po," Tigress interrupted the blabbering panda. "I can do this part _alone_."

"Right right," the panda quickly apologized, standing back in a mock-formal stance. "Uh - _proceed_ Master Tigress! We - the Dragon Warrior and the Five - um - and Alf and Yu - will listen!"

Tigress rolled her eyes. "As I was saying…"

"Wait if I'm just referring to like just the four of you," Po interrupted yet again. "Do I call you guys - the _Four_?"

"I've wondered that for the longest!" Monkey added. "I guess the _Four_ would be okay - not as catchy though…"

"Yeah I like the _Five_ better…" Viper agreed.

Tigress sighed. "So - as I was saying…"

"How about three then?" Po countered. "Would it just be the _Three_?"

" _Woah_ \- Let's not get crazy," Alf mocked, struggling to keep himself from bursting out laughing.

"Okay how 'bout this?" Mantis discussed. "If it's three or less, then we get called by our names. Four or more - then it's the _Four_ \- or the _Five_."

"What if we get _more_ than five down the road?" Crane put in. "It's sort of weird to say like - the _Ten_ …"

"Alright new rule," Po declared proudly. "Two or less - we say names. Three to seven - we can use _the Furious Three, or the Furious Seven_ … etc. If it's more than - "

"AS I WAS SAYING!" Tigress yelled in desperation, waiting for Po, the Five, Yu and Alf to become quiet.

She groaned, trying to calm herself down. "As I was saying… once we get inside the City - we stay low, quiet, and track where Shen is."

"Yeah!" Po urged. "I'll do my famous _stealth_ mode…"

"No! No! No!" Tigress uttered in frustration, walking to the panda to shake his massive frame. "No stealth mode! Repeat after me - _no… stealth… mode_."

"No stealth mode," Po reiterated sadly.

"If we just stick to the plan, we should be fine," Tigress forced. "Now please - for the love of the Scrolls - let's get moving."

Yu watched the Five, Po, and Alf sprint in the direction of the archways leading into Gongmen.

Sighing, she began heading back to the boat - wondering just how long it would take, to finally get some alone time with her favorite Seeker.

 **. . .**

"Please… please… please…"

"Yeah how about you _please_ keep quiet?" Zhong muttered under his breath, sheep still fidgeting on his right shoulder. "Making it hard for me to do my job…"

He was at the outside of Gongmen. This was a seldom-traveled area, secured heavily by wolf forces at the area's only entrance. A large creek ran in front of him, a few hundred feet away, and a thick bushel of trees began appearing at Zhong's sides - yet he wasn't quite in the forest yet. There were the beginnings of musty green grass, tempered with a few flowers and dandelions. In supreme irony - it felt like an oddly peaceful place. Peaceful enough, and secluded enough - where Zhong had removed the gag nearly five minutes ago, once confident that they were well outside the city so no one could hear the commotion. He turned around for a second, taking another moment to appreciate the massive, stone-walled city hundreds of feet behind him.

"Please!" the sheep screamed, managing to squirm off Zhong's shoulder to collapse on the ground.

"Look lady," Zhong retorted. "I'm - "

"I have a husband!" the sheep breathed out suddenly, waving her arms in fear while moving away from Zhong. "I - I have two - baby boys - they - their names are Ling and Xao - please - please - my name's - "

"Zip it," the Wolf Boss commanded. "That won't work - trust me. Lotta people usually try that - they must figure something 'bouta a name - or kids - might let 'em off the hook."

The sheep fell on the ground, prostrating at Zhong's feet. "I - I - "

"Run," Zhong commanded.

A silence.

The sheep tentatively pointed her head up, quivering. "Wha - What?"

"You heard me," Zhong repeated. " _Go_. Before I change my mind."

The sheep took another moment to stand up, and yet another to stare at Zhong.

A mix of emotions.

Perhaps fear. Perhaps disbelief.

Then realization.

She merely nodded her head, crying - then bolted away.

Zhong sighed, watching her run towards the creek.

Like they all did.

He brought out a small crossbow from his back pocket, loading it gingerly with a fresh arrow. He aimed directly in front of him, fingers just quivering a bit more than usual.

He waited. He had it down to a science.

A precise timing.

She was just three feet from the creek now.

 _Twang._

A whizz of air.

The sheep gurgled, arrow shoving straight through the back of her head. She fell forwards, perfectly tripping into the fast-flowing creek.

Zhong silently put his crossbow in the pouch again, watching the immeasurable speed of the water wash off the body - where it would drag her along for about ten minutes or so, before the creek would empty into the sea.

His throat seized, eyes slightly watering. The only solace he could take - and Shen would kill him if he knew this - was that he always made it quick.

Always.

For all of them.

For himself.

The last time he had killed someone face to face - or rather failed to kill someone - had been the same baby panda all those years ago, green eyes scarring Zhong immeasurably. He had promised himself after that - he couldn't do it anymore. Or rather - he promised to never _see_ it happen.

Not see the life ebb from their eyes.

Not see their soul leave their body.

Not anymore.

The Boss Wolf gently walked back towards Gongmen - footsteps defeated, slow, and seemingly trapped in a recently growing mixture of cowardice, shame, and anger.

 **. . .**

Alf wished Yu could have come with him. Gongmen City was different - yet all the same in-person.

The basics were there. Finely-built architecture, towers that seemed to stretch to the sky, dragon symbols, red houses, curved roofs, engraved stone floors and courtyards, an ever-present smell of smoking metal, artsy decorations...

And the people!

A packed population of sheep, antelope, and all kinds of citizens -

Yet there was also the negatives - the part that wasn't visible to outsiders.

The wolves. The weapons. The guards patrolling the streets, harassing everyone. The constant sense of restriction and fear - an environment drenched in subtle danger and confusion.

So the first thing the Five had to do - especially with a massive panda as their Dragon Warrior and a Seeker trying to hide in a skintight black outfit - was hide behind a bridge.

The bridge was long and white, situated above the head of most buildings and near the entrance to the city. Tigress was clear that they didn't have much time - yet it worked in their advantage, as Shen's likely location stuck out like a sore claw…

… a massive, red, spiraling tower in the far end of the city - at least fifty feet taller than everything else.

The former Palace that belonged to the Masters' Council.

"This is pointless," Mantis whispered, hiding underneath Po's belly as the Five and Alf peeked out from the bridge's side. "We're never gonna get through all these guards."

At least fifty wolves were patrolling the streets below them, many terrorizing innocent villagers.

"Stealth mode?" Po inquired in desperation.

" _No_ ," Tigress firmly rejected. "I have a better idea."

"What?" Crane fired back, keeping watch on a few guards tossing a bunny to each other as they guffawed like pure morons.

"We give Shen the Dragon Warrior," Tigress simply answered.

A long pause. The rest of the Five looked at Tigress like she had just gone insane. Po and Alf snickered to each other.

"What?" Viper asked.

" _What_?" Po questioned.

"How?" Alf queried.

"Trust me," Tigress simply finished.

The Five - or rather the _Four_ \- along with Alf and Po, watched Tigress carelessly leap down the bridge, and land on her feet. Immediately the surrounding villagers took notice, with a couple of pigs fainting in pure fear. The wolves quickly sounded off the alarm - but it felt redundant, as Tigress began waving her arms like a lunatic - drawing as much attention to herself as possible.

And just then, Po regretted interrupting her at the docks.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Ahhh… another dense (but hopefully not too long chapter). Too lazy to write a good A/N for now - so just this once, enjoy not having to read my usual Illiad of text!_

 _Support? Ya…. it's… ya…._

 _New chapters every Friday(ish)!_

 _~TW_


	24. KFP 2:7

" **A Long Walk"**

* * *

"STOP! BY ORDER OF THE GRAND PROTECTOR OF GONGMEN CITY, LORD SHEN'S HONOR!"

"We've found the Dragon Warrior!" Tigress screamed. "We've captured him!"

The wolves kept their paws on their weapons, a good twenty-strong group surrounding Tigress as she resiliently kept staring upwards, waiting for Po and the others to jump off the white bridge and join her.

"The famous _Master Tigress_ ," the leading wolf called out, fangs snarling. "Says she's captured the _Dragon Warrior_. Bullsh - "

"I'm - OOF!"

It was too late, as Po had belly-flopped down and landed right on top of Tigress' back, squashing her to the rocky, patterned floor.

"Po - get - _off_ of me…" Tigress whispered, roughly kicking Po to the side. "Ahem - as you can see! We've brought the Dragon Warrior to appease um - Lord Shen?"

Po felt like punching himself in the face. Even if his "stealth mode" wasn't nearly as stealthy as he would have liked, watching Tigress act out a plan (that was so clearly bent on revenge against Po for interrupting her back at the docks) - with the dramatic chops and emotional range of a boulder - it felt painful. Anyone could have done better - Crane had better dialogue skills, Mantis was a character actor, Viper was more subtle - even Monkey could have said a line or two! Alf of course - life spent hiding behind someone, or a mask - would have probably been the best choice.

"My team - the _Furious Five_ \- " Tigress continued, standing up in mock-regal fashion as she desperately searched for the appearance of the rest of the Five. "AHEM! MY TEAM, THE FURIOUS FIVE!"

A flurry of movement, as a praying mantis, snake, bird, monkey, and masked figure followed Po's descent to land onto the rocky floor next to Tigress.

"Since you're referring to just four of us - shouldn't you abbreviate the name and call us - " Mantis started, but was silenced by another death state from Tigress.

"Anyway…" Tigress continued. "... we've been tasked by Lord Shen to return the Dragon Warrior to him - dead _or_ alive."

Tigress squarely punched Po in the ribs, downing the panda once more.

"Though we're fine with _dead_ ," Tigress smirked.

Po sighed, regretting interrupting her even more now. He noticed that most of the residents in this area of Gongmen City had cleared out by now, leaving just the twenty wolves surrounding them currently - armed to the teeth. They were still quite far from the massive Tower looming in the distance, separated by at least five hundred paces of solid walking. A clear blue sky signaled noontime above them, the perfect time for a fight to take place.

"Let me get this straight," the lead wolf spoke in. "The Furious Five - basically the ultimate protectors of the Valley of Peace, and the Jade Palace - suddenly decide to go _rogue_ , and betray the _Dragon Warrior_?"

"Who's - a - _panda_?" a second wolf interrupted.

Po felt confused. The more he realized, the more he saw the wolves' expressions utterly amazed by Po's appearance. Though he had grown quite common to the whole "pandas can't be warriors stereotype", these wolves didn't look prejudiced (more than normal anyway) - they looked baffled, as if seeing a panda itself was an utter miracle.

"You're a bad liar," the lead wolf spat at Tigress, readying his spear. "I think we'll kill all of you, _and_ that corny butterball who's pretending to be the Dragon Warrior…"

"Hey!" Po interrupted, offended. "I'm not corny…"

"Then we deliver your corpses to Shen ourselves," the wolf snarled, watching the other wolves ready their weapons as they encircled the six masters and masked figure. "Now _that_ isn't a lie…"

Tigress growled, getting into a defensive stance as the rest of the Five sighed, prepared for another gigantic battle. Po still wondered why all the wolves looked surprised to see him.

"Stop."

The voice was calm, yet assertive. It was distinctly wolf-like, but it felt more aged and rougher than the rest of the wolves. The wolf that began to enter the scene, had a distinct red tattoo on his right bicep, complete with a different armor scheme and bolder set of weapons.

A sharp crossbow, most notably.

"Stand down Ming," Zhong forced, watching the smaller wolf cower slightly.

"But Boss," the younger wolf protested. "If we don't kill 'em now, we - "

"They're not lying," the Boss Wolf stated. "They - they're telling the truth."

Po gasped, seeing the tattoo more clearly, intrusive memory flashes haunting him again.

 _Wolves._

 _Blood._

 _Blades._

 _Green eyes._

"Po," Tigress whispered, holding Po by the back of his shoulder. "What's happening?"

"You - " Po stood up suddenly, face contorting into painful grief. "I - I know _you_ …"

"No," Zhong firmly rejected, turning away. "You don't."

"Boss, we gotta kill 'em!" a second wolf shouted out. "We've outnumbered them! It's just the _Furious Seven_ against - "

"Actually Po isn't a member of the Five, that's sorta _our_ thing," Mantis noted in a matter of fact tone. "We prefer the _Dragon Warrior_ and the _Furious Five_."

"But there's _six_ of you," a new wolf argued, stepping forward to point at the downed, masked figure that still hadn't said anything. "Shouldn't it be called the _Furious Six_ and the _Dragon Warrior_?"

"No um - this erm - _fine fellow_ isn't really a part of anything," Mantis noted, pointing at the masked figure in black garments. "For legal purposes, I'm just gonna say right now that the Jade Palace has no binding affiliation to the following masked - "

"Wait so I'm confused," yet another wolf declared. "Are we killing the _Furious Five_ and the Dragon Warrior, or everyone in this little circle right now?"

"I think for this situation, we can extend the _Furious_ concept to everyone whom you're currently fighting," Crane assuaged. "It's technically inaccurate, but we believe that all identities fall under a spectrum anyway…"

"Ah okay thanks," the wolf responded. "Appreciate the clarity and insight. Makes this whole _killing_ stuff a lot easier."

"We believe in transparency and simplicity," Viper noted.

"So what happens if one of you dies, or gets a new member?" another wolf rang in. "Would it be like - Furious Six _plus one_? Or the _Furious Five 2.0?_ "

"To be honest we're having a lot of recent trouble with our naming methodologies," Mantis noted. "We're open to suggestions though, so if any of you have - "

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP ABOUT THE NAMES!" Zhong and Tigress simultaneously yelled, quieting the rest of the crowd.

Zhong sighed, confused at Tigress' gleeful expression. "Take 'em up to Lord Shen."

"But Boss - "

" _Quiet_ ," Zhong commanded, pointing the crossbow at the younger, rowdy wolf. "Do. As. I. _Say_."

The rest of the wolves grumbled, watching the Boss Wolf act menacing. Po still couldn't shake the images out of his head, stressed out to the point of non-efficiency. He still couldn't understand why the tattoo was giving him such a hard time.

"Yes _sir_ …" the wolf gave up, turning around into the circle of wolves. "... you heard the Boss. Cuff the panda with the eight-point locks and keep your eyes on the rest of 'em."

The wolves moved quickly, cuffing Po immediately while the rest kept spears pointed at the Fives' backs. They urged the entire group forward, beginning to march steadily in the direction of the massive Tower in the distance. Citizens - not that many left to begin with - made a clear path to follow as they segregated themselves into their houses and red-roofed buildings.

"Who's _this_?" Zhong emphasized, casually prodding at the downed figure with the black mask, who remained silent.

Alf gulped. He wondered how much distance an enemy would need to correctly distinguish his face - it had happened before, where someone had gotten too close and managed to recognize the facial features characteristic to all Seekers.

"Escort," Tigress promptly stepped in. "To um - _pleasure_ our male erm - warriors on our way here!"

Alf's jaw went slack. Tigress took the time to wink at Alf, half mockingly and half seriously.

"Escort huh," a new wolf emerged, prodding at the masked figure's hips. "Certainly lookin' like a fine _she_ -wolf to me. What's shakin' honey?"

The wolf pinched Alf's sides, irritating the young Seeker.

"Ahem - _whatever you want it to be -_ erm - _sweetie_ ," Alf spoke, trying his best falsetto.

"I _like_ you," the wolf exaggerated, growling as he began tugging at Alf's waist garments. "How's about you stop the teasing and lemme see some of that - "

"She's expensive," Tigress noted, shoving the wolf's paw away. "Five hundred per hour."

The wolf growled, but still kept a smile on Alf.

"Maybe one day baby…" the wolf smoothly declared, running his paw across Alf's stomach and back. "... one day…"

Alf watched the Five follow Po closely, as the surrounding wolves tightened their circle even closer as everyone began slowing walking forward - path completely free of citizens and debris as a clear stone line lead from their location to the massive Tower in the distance. There were of course, multiple houses and buildings - complete with decorations - outlining the path, but this only served to make their route to Shen more scenic.

"So now I'm a hooker," Alf bit, whispering quietly to Tigress as they both followed the massive gang forward. "Thanks for that."

"A _pricey_ one," Tigress corrected subtly, smirking. "Besides - it'll help a lot for the next part of my plan."

"Speaking of weird plans," Alf continued. "You mind giving us the full details? Po's losing his mind, the Five are confused, I'm pretending to be a prostitute, and we're turning in the Dragon Warrior?"

"We'd _never_ be able to sneak over to Shen's base," Tigress stated clearly. "Plus, I'll bet everything I own that Shen's been making more than just one cannon."

"Yeah, so?"

"So this lets us get into the base easily," Tigress noted. "Gives us time - once we're inside, that is - to figure out where the rest of the cannons are. _And_ take down Shen."

Alf shook his head. "Could you be any _less_ vague? This is sounding a lot like that time when Po tried to cook rice in his stomach."

"This is nothing like that," Tigress rejected.

"How? Because this one's gonna _work_?"

"No," Tigress simply responded. "Because this one _won't_."

Alf felt even more baffled than usual.

 **. . .**

 _By China's end,_

 _And by China's beginning._

 _By your start,_

 _And your finish._

"Screw this," Yu remarked, throwing the scroll casually to the rocking side of the boat, ignoring the rest of the riddle. "Wasting my time…"

Yu had tried to find a million ways to pass the time while the Five, Po and Alf were busy going after Shen. She had started off just juggling throwing stars in the boat, but that diversion ended quickly after a mistimed catch cut through her right palm. Then she tried working on performing the best song she could sing, which also ended quickly as the fox realized how terrible she was at singing.

And now, her latest diversion had been trying to figure out what the riddle meant - which turned out to be even more idiotic than trying to juggle throwing stars.

Yu smiled, sitting down on a wooden bunk, watching an assortment of barrels traverse across the floor gently as the boat rocked softly against the docks - rope still tethering it to Gongmen City.

She wished more than anything Alf could have been with her. Shifu was never one to exaggerate - and if he predicted that taking down Shen wouldn't have needed Alf, then truly the Seeker coming along was probably just a stressor for everyone. It wasn't just stressful enough for Alf - to act like he was invisible all the time, stay away from being associated with the Jade Palace, that damn collar - but the Five and Po had to make sure they weren't consciously fighting with him, contacting or touching him in public, and to keep a hawk-eye on his mask to make sure it would never expose the furless skin underneath.

Yu scoffed. It was one thing to be an outcast, but it was completely another to be an outcast who's forced to lie to the entire world - lie about who he is, lie about what happened with Tai Lung, lie about his relationships to the Jade Palace… Alf had often compared it to going around blindfolded while an army of huge rhinos smashed you with bats (incidentally, that had actually happened to Alf when we was younger with some bigoted citizens) - Yu couldn't agree with it anymore.

So a lot of Alf naturally attracted the fox. On a physical level, the attraction was there - but Yu's longstanding fascination with the Seeker was more than skin-deep. It was something about the way he carried himself, the way he would joke in dark situations, the manner in which he would silently accept whatever was happening to him (yet never cower to it) - Yu had before thought it had been yet another "Seeker quirk", but she found it unlikely that _any_ Seeker would be able tolerate the life Alf led and still be as goofy and silly as he naturally was. It utterly _shocked_ Yu how well Alf adapted to some of the things going on in his life:

 _Everyone in the Valley hates me?_ Yu thought. _Oh, they're probably jealous of how good-looking I am._

 _I have a collar that's used to basically torture me 24/7 and I can't take it off? Oh, Shifu's probably just being "overprotective"._

 _I need to wear an ugly black suit to hide who I really am? Oh, I must be too "hot" to reveal to the public._

 _I live in a literal garbage can of a room, underneath sewage pipes? That's okay, I like recycling anyways!_

 _Everyone thinks I helped Tai Lung escape out of Chor-Gom, where I really -_

Actually that had been one thing that even Alf couldn't joke about - mostly because of how depressed it made him.

And yet there was still great mystery to him, a great sense of uncertain confusion that occasionally even got the Five speculating for hours on end. Questions about his birthplace, his early childhood, how'd the Seekers possibly still exist, what exactly defined being a "Seeker"... and of course, the ever-present question:

What would his future be like?

Tigress was trying to become the best kung fu master she could be.

The rest of the Five were trying to serve the Jade Palace as best as they could.

Shifu was trying to control the Valley, and keep it peaceful.

Po was trying to live up to his title.

Yu was just sticking around for the hell of it.

Exactly what the f*** was Alf sticking around for?

That had been the only question no one even dared to speculate on. Considering that there had been so little information to guide the answers for previous questions, the question of Alf's "tomorrow" felt more like an exercise in jokes and comedy (with Yu giving interesting conclusions like running away to a dairy farm, dying, or running away to the dairy farm _then_ dying). Alf - aside from his investigations with the "Seeker" book and contact with their anonymous friend - kept most of his questions low-key and understated, trying to not make them a major part of his life.

"Mountains," Yu repeated, chuckling. "Mountains…"

It was true - some of the riddle did fit "mountains", but the issue with riddles that there would be usually a correlation behind how vague the riddle was and how much nonsense it actually was - Alf and Yu had dubbed this the "bullshit coefficient". This particular riddle seemed to have a very high bullshit coefficient, but the source's previous message or delivery - the Seeker book - had been wonderful for Alf and Yu to peruse over.

"Hmm…" Yu let out, standing up to grab the scroll and walk outside the boat's tarp.

Cool noon air hit her immediately. The good thing about staying back on the docks was the coastal breeze - it wafted in and gently brushed past Yu's whiskers and face, chilling her under Gongmen's usual heat. The docks themselves seemed impressive - there were the grand three archways that lead to Gongmen of course - but the wooden flooring, fine grain texture, and layered pathways throughout made the docks vaguely aesthetic.

"Hey girlie! Cut us loose!"

Of course, there was always that.

Yu smiled, now recognizing the twenty or so wolf bandits lying unconscious on the flooring around her. The Five had taken care to tie them up well (hands _and_ feet) to absolutely minimize any damage they could do. One of them, close to Yu, had woken up - and jiggled furiously in his bindings.

"You heard me bitch?!" the wolf spat again. "Cut us loose - or I'll rip your throat out!"

"Hmmm…" Yu mocked, bending down to make eye contact with the bound wolf. "... I dunno bro, you seem pretty - _tied_ up at the moment."

Yu chuckled idiotically, mentally patting herself on the back. The wolf groaned, beginning to jitter even harder.

"Now shut up willya?" Yu urged, standing back up. "Lemme get back to what I _actually_ came out here for…"

The fox unfurled the scroll, reading over the words gingerly again.

 _By China's end,_

 _And by China's beginning._

 _By your start,_

 _And your finish._

 _Six is there,_

 _But five should be beware._

 _If it's answers to your past you seek,_

 _Then seek, Seeker - or be weak._

Yu sighed, looking around her.

There were definitely mountains well off into the distance, everywhere - but that felt more like natural parts of China's topography than guided answers to a riddle. Even so, the riddle wasn't specific enough to point out _which_ mountains it was talking about. Alf's sole arguments were the mountain drawing and the first four lines (which _barely_ fit) - without that, the riddle might as well have been useless.

"I _knew_ that masked dude was something else," the wolf interrupted.

A burst of fear. Yu quickly turned back, seeing the bound wolf smile sadistically at her. She saw his eyes glance at the unfurled scroll in her paws, easily grabbing all the Seeker references.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yu quickly emphasized in desperation.

"No one's built like them, yanno?" the wolf whispered, grinning evilly. "Even under disguise, they look distinctive. No horns, no fangs, no claws, no fur, tall and slim, five-fingered paws… I knew my men and I had seen that _sleek_ jumpsuit in the newscrolls before… pretty little disguise, really..."

"Whoever you're talking about," Yu cut across. "Sounds like you wanna get in his pants. I'll tell him that when he comes back."

"Cut the shit," the wolf growled, still smiling. "You might as well kill me now - because the second I get free - I'm shouting the Jade Palace's _little secret_ to the world."

Yu snarled, kicking out roughly at the wolf's head. She yelped in pain as the hard skull merely bounced off her foot.

"Oww!" the fox squealed. "Screw you! Hardheaded thug…"

"We'd all heard the rumors," the wolf recalled. "The tabloid scrolls. The conspiracy theories…"

"Oh my freaking _Scrolls_ ," Yu let out, still clutching at her foot. "How many times do I need to tell you - there isn't anyone under the suit _moron_!"

" _Five. Fingered. Paws_ ," the wolf tensely enunciated. "Long legs. Plus the fact that you're also carrying a scroll talking about Seekers - from Zuihou de Yongshi…"

Yu paused, narrowing her eyes. She moved back to the wolf, who was still smiling. She pursed her lips at him, trying to frame her question properly.

"Who's Zuihou de Yongshi?" Yu asked immediately.

"Oh so _now_ you're interested?" the wolf fired back, grinning fully now. "Stupid bitch…"

"I'm _not_ ," Yu rejected. "I'm just wondering what kinda stupid name you'd have to make up to say that…"

"Keep wondering," the wolf noted. "My men will be here soon - and they'll tear you apart - "

"Thanks for wasting my time asshole," the fox spat, standing up to look at the scroll again. "Prick…"

If she had to be honest with herself, a big part of her got very excited when the wolf mentioned a name she had never heard of before - and Alf likely as well - but this was quickly dissipated as she assumed that the wolf was just wasting her time, trying to annoy her enough for her to get too close, then try to free himself somehow. Still, it only reinvigorated the fox's spirit - Yu wondered whether she should go back inside and do the throwing stars game again. At least it was less foolish…

"It's not a name."

Yu sighed, turning back to see the wolf unusually serious. "What?"

"Zuihou de Yongshi," the wolf clarified, jittering in his bindings. "Final Warriors. They're a group - not a single person."

"Yeah I can understand Chinese you idiot," Yu mentioned in frustration. "I just think you're full of sh - "

"Mountain logo on the back and front of the scroll," the wolf pointed out. "Eight lines in the riddle. First half is contrasting things with each other. Second half is - "

"Anyone who looked at the freakin' scroll could have known that," Yu forced. "And you _looked at it_!"

"Put your right paw and two more fingers on the mountain logo on the backside," the wolf mentioned. "Do it if you don't believe me! Six _fingers_ is there - but _five_ should be beware - something your _friend_ has..."

Yu scoffed, mockingly turning over the scroll to see the simple mountain embellished on the back of the scroll. She casually pressed the digits that the wolf asked her to, silently laughing as the wolf kept an eager glance at her.

Ink began appearing on the scroll's backside, tracing her fingers - then letters came below her palm.

 _ **Yu.**_

 _ **Fox.**_

 _ **Comes from a family of healers.**_

 _ **Killed her own parents.**_

 _CLANK._

Yu gapsed, hyperventilating. She had already dropped the scroll.

As soon as the scroll hit the wooden floor, the lettering and tracing began disappearing.

Harsh memories - memories that she had managed to suppress for so long - came flashing back, shaking her uncontrollably.

"It can tell China's end - and China's beginning - but also your start, and your finish… sound familiar?" the wolf asked disrespectfully.

Yu's chest was still wheezing. Too many memories had come flooding back.

She didn't know what was happening to her.

"What - what is _this_?" the fox breathed out, still nervous.

"Your little fleshie friend has caught the Yongshi's attention," the wolf smoothly declared. "Fox, let me just say this - you two idiots have no _idea_ what you're getting involved in…"

Yu growled, grabbing the wolf by the armor collar. "What. The Hell. Is this?"

"It must have told you some _dark_ stuff…" the wolf grinned. "Yanno - for you to get this upset and all…"

"ANSWER ME!"

The wolf paused, relishing the fear that was on Yu's face. "My advice fox? You burn this scroll, and tell your fleshie friend to go hide under a rock. _Nothing_ is dumber than trying to find the Zuihuo de Yongshi…"

"We didn't find them," Yu snarled. "They _found_ us. They _sent_ us the scroll!"

"Then the fleshling did something to attract their attention," the wolf reiterated. "Hell - I could see the Yongshi going after him just _because_ he's a fleshling…"

"What are they?" Yu breathed slowly, still trying to shake off the memories the scroll had given her. " _Who_ are they?"

The wolf snarled. "Final Warriors - they're an ancient group. They go back thousands of years. They never come out of the shadows unless - unless there's _something_ worth looking into."

"And you think," Yu started slowly. "You think they might be after - Alf?"

The wolf grinned again, sharp fangs glaring as he relaxed into his rope bindings. "I never knew that it had a _name_. How cute."

Yu's head shook with anger. In a single motion, she shot upwards and walked back into the boat - pushing past the boat tarps to get into the sleeping barracks. Yu flopped onto her wooly mat, screaming and punching the wooden flooring as all the failures of the past hour came up on her - the throwing stars, the scroll, acknowledging that the Jade Palace was housing a Seeker, then to top it all off - revealing Alf's name.

Then there were the words that were displayed on the scroll.

The words that brought back so many repressed memories.

She sobbed into her pillow.

 **. . .**

The walk to Shen's tower was surprisingly peaceful.

Except for the occasional jab in the stomach from an over enthusiastic wolf, Po found the walk to the Tower of Sacred Flames - or Scorching Flames - or something to with flames - very uneventful, and actually quite scenic with a strong breeze, clear blue skies, and Gongmen's natural architecture. The Five and Alf kept a close watch on the guards, moving just ten feet behind them - making sure no wolves would needlessly injure Po on the trek there. It helped that the streets of Gongmen seemed emptied out by now, leaving a long path leading to a massive, stone-walled structure that housed Shen's tower.

By now, Po had guessed Tigress' basic train of thought: pretend to give up the Dragon Warrior, buy some time, locate where the cannon(s) were, and take Shen back in acupressure cuffs - probably the same ones that were looped around Po's paws right now.

Yet the plan only worked because of the unnecessary confidence of the wolf to Po's right - the mysterious Boss Wolf with a red tattoo that kept Po from looking directly at him.

The memories always came back if he did.

Po didn't like re-experiencing that. Again. And again. And again.

"I _know_ you," Po whispered, avoiding eye contact with the Boss Wolf.

"No you _don't_ , tubby," Zhong remarked quickly, also avoiding eye contact.

"Why is everyone so surprised to see me?" Po asked.

"Dunno."

"Why did all of your wolf buddies act like they were seeing a ghost?"

"I. Don't Know."

"Were they surprised to see me - or see a panda?"

 _THUNK._

"AGH!"

Po keeled forward, clenching his stomach. Zhong kept his fist in a curled position, shaking with anger.

"You keep messing with the _wolf_ ," Zhong iterated. "You're gonna get the _fangs_. Don't piss me off."

"Thank you," Po let out, as another pair of wolves hoisted him to his feet.

"For what?" Zhong growled in curiosity.

"Now I _know_ you know something," Po mentioned triumphantly, speed walking ahead of Zhong.

The Boss Wolf snarled, turning his head down.

Ten feet behind the Boss Wolf, Po, and their associated entourage - the Five and Alf had their own little escort of wolves. These soldiers weren't nearly as aggressive as they were with Po, but they still pressed spears a bit too close for comfort to keep the five masters and masked figure at bay - this had irked Tigress more than once, who had already kicked two spears into the sky for prodding her a bit too much.

"I'm worried about Po," Viper whispered to Alf. "He's not acting like himself."

"Something about that tattoo is screwing with his head," Alf observed, watching Po keep his gaze downward and away from the Boss Wolf. "I shoulda asked him about it weeks ago…"

"You think he's still down to fight?" Mantis quietly noted.

"Absolutely not," Tigress confidently asserted. "We might as well pretend Po's gone for the rest of this mission. We've gotta plan it ourselves."

"What _plan_ exactly?" Crane jutted in. "You've been even more stone-walled than usual over _explanations_ lately."

"Just follow my lead," Tigress reiterated. "We can't be seen talking too much to each other. They're suspicious enough as is."

Alf groaned, watching the rest of the Five walk forward in silence. To his own personal annoyance, several wolves had already come up to him and asked if he - or rather _she_ \- could offer a "discount" on her "services" - and each time Alf was forced to put on the falsetto, he felt like bashing his head against a rock. This was yet another time to have Yu onboard - she was _much_ better at manipulating thugs than Tigress was - and if Alf's battle with Tai Lung didn't prove anything else, it was direct evidence that one doesn't _need_ kung fu to beat someone - or something.

"We're here." Zhong called out ahead of them.

Alf turned his gaze upwards, seeing the same huge stone walls they were walking to for so long - and the Courtyard as well, just peeking out from behind the closed gates leading into the Palace. Shen's tower stuck out majestically, spiraling into the sky.

They were going to meet the peacock.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yet another drama-packed chapter! Also I give up on writing 3k word chapters now - story's become too complex for that. :D_

 _I realize the teases into Alf's backstory are little by little, (Yu's as well) and usually intercut with a big emphasis on Po's stuff - but remember, we're not even halfway through KFP 2 yet. There's three movies! (And um - maybe some more from my end? ;)). Point is I have a LOOOOOT of time to build up Alf gradually, which will make the eventual payoff so much more rewarding. But yes - there is an actual backstory that's there, I'm just doing it piecewise._

 _So stick around. :D_

 _Support is so great that I would I could put acupressure cuffs on all of you. Wait - does that even qualify as admiration?_

 _Never mind you guys rock, okay?_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: I'm posting outside of my home country. Wow is the internet crazy… connecting people for so long..._


	25. KFP 2:8

" **Shen"**

* * *

The captured wolf, as it turned out, was keen on speaking.

Several times Yu had made the trip out of the safe confines of the boat and back onto the docks - avoiding the still unconscious wolves to make her way to the one soldier willing to give her more information. Yu had bartered food, water, and a handful of personal information about Alf (which was utter nonsense, but it helped the wolf open his mouth) - in exchange for more information about the Yongshi.

But she didn't dare touch the scroll, which was still laying about ten feet away on the docks.

The Yongshi were an ancient group, usually comprised of a loose hierarchy of warriors. There didn't appear to be any one single leader - for the organization was so disconnected - but there had been scarce reports that the wolf had seen in news scrolls. Sometimes a Yongshi member would be seen out in the open, lurking just for a moment before disappearing from sight. They had been spotted all around China, and much like Alf - their reputation and knowledge was mostly unknown. Few knew of the existence of the Yongshi, and like the wolf - fewer still knew any actual information.

"Tastes good," the wolf remarked, biting into a bean bun while still rolling on the floor in chains. "Thanks girlie…"

"How old are they?" Yu questioned, sitting down quietly.

"Older than China," the wolf returned gruffly. "Older than any Palace. Older than Oogway."

"Older than Oogway?" Yu hesitated, eyes glaring.

"More powerful too," the wolf recalled, munching another bite from the bean bun.

The fox huffed, smiling sarcastically. She stared up into the noon sky, watching the air seemingly disagree - violently gusting forward and pushing her whiskers back. It was one thing to say that an organization's members had been older than China - but to then say they were more powerful than Oogway?

"You're bullshitting," Yu noted, snatching the bean bun away from the angry wolf. "I want real answers."

"Hehe," the wolf snarled, snickering. "You people really are in the dark, aren't you…"

Yu scowled. Before Po had come into the Jade Palace, the Valley had indeed been isolated from the rest of China - not that it was a separatist area, but more that Shifu's stern reluctance to speak to the outside world (without reason), combined with the fact that the Valley was housing someone like Alf - yes, Yu agreed that the Valley had been sheltered before the "Dragon Warrior".

" _No_ one is more powerful than Oogway," Yu firmly replied, old affection for the late master coming up. "He invented kung fu!"

"You think _kung fu_ is the only way to look at the world?" the wolf spat. "Like I said - don't speak on what you don't know…"

"You don't seem to know much either," Yu growled.

"I don't, but at least I accept there are things out there that are much, _much_ bigger than you, me, the panda, China…" the wolf went on. "The Yongshi'll make Oogway look like a little _wimp_."

Yu sighed for the millionth time. "In all of China, Oogway is the most powe - "

"Who said the Yongshi were _Chinese_?" the wolf interrupted.

Yu felt confused. "Of course they're Chinese. It's in the name - Zui - "

"That's how _we_ call them," the wolf remarked. "How do you think people in other areas of the world call them? With their own native tongues!"

Yu laughed heartlessly. "So you're saying - there's a secret, ultra-powerful, globe-trotting, ancient group out there who've been sending us cryptic bullshit for the last year? Are you slow or something?"

"That snow leopard you guys somehow put down - he isn't a problem worthy of the Yongshi," the wolf stated. "Even my boss - Shen - even he _isn't_ worthy of the Yongshi's attention. They only focus on the _biggest_ of stuff."

"Like a Seeker," Yu repeated for emphasis. "Like Alf."

The wolf grinned mockingly. "The kid might not know what his future is, or what he's capable of - but the Yongshi might. They might have all the _answers_ that fleshie really wants."

"He's not capable of anything," Yu returned, groaning. "Just a random kid…"

"It's in his blood," the wolf retorted. "It's in their nature. Seekers can't help but be - what they're _destined_ to be."

Yu took the time to choose her next words carefully. "What are you saying, you idiot? Quit being all vague and stuff."

The wolf sighed, fidgeting in his chains. "I'm saying there are things - plans - dice set in motion out there - that are _way_ larger than what you people can think of. My guess - your fleshie friend has something to do with it."

"Alf's never been the main focus anywhere," Yu remarked, again hating to use his name in front of the soldier. "He's good at keeping himself low-key."

"He's a freakin' _Seeker_ ," the wolf reiterated, eyes widening in frustration. "The _only_ one left, as far as I know. Sooner or later, there won't be any more hiding…"

"From what?" Yu questioned.

"I don't know!" the wolf growled, annoyed again. "Look, all I can tell you is that there are _things_ we don't know about. Answer _my_ damn questions!"

The fox stood up, beginning to eat the bean bun disrespectfully in front of the hungry wolf. The repeated vagueness was pissing her off, but also there was the discernment that the wolf indeed knew very little.

"What questions?!" Yu spat.

"What's with the whole _killing_ your parents thing?"

Yu paused, crushing the bean bun in her paw. The wolf glared gleefully at her, emotional reaction achieved and the fox's expression saddened - yet she didn't sob this time. Yu simply tossed the half-eaten bean bun into the sea ahead of her, ignoring the wolf's expletives following behind her - the fox resilient, and choosing to settle for another long nap.

 **. . .**

"My mortal enemy… stai - "

"Shut up."

"Fine."

Po was growing uncomfortable. After a brief jaunt through the Palace Courtyard - complete with a haunting image of Master Rhino's impeccable stone hammer wedged alone in rock flooring - the group had shoved the Five, himself, and a disguised Alf into the main Palace. Now there was the issue of trying to make themselves up the long stairway without making Po faint from exhaustion. The panda had already tried to hitchhike on a large gorilla soldier the way up, before an annoyed Tigress shoved the panda down and to the floor.

To tell the truth, none of the rest of the Five, Po, or Alf knew what was making her so reckless as of late. The stern, eternally strict leader of the Furious Five had been all but absent - and the more Po realized, she had been absent for a while.

Since Tai Lung.

The rushed actions.

The quick temper.

The nonchalant attitudes.

The repeated girl names.

It had been subtle, and something that one couldn't accurately decipher unless they knew Tigress intimately. Ever since Po and Alf had joined the Palace, a cascade of events managed to take place: Shifu grew just a bit less uptight, the Jade Palace's training became significantly more fun, and aside from the old master's fierce seriousness at Alf - the overall environment of kung fu felt more lax and enjoyable. Most of this had been attributed to Po, but no one could have predicted Tigress to react to the new rules so coolly. It usually was never an issue, as the combination of her fearsome skill and manic aggression kept her viable on team missions - but as of late, something seemed to be relaxing her a bit "too much" for comfort.

"Po," Alf whispered, finally reaching the top of the stairs. "Look."

Po, the Five, and Alf had finally ascended to the Throne Room. Their wolf escort still surrounded them, keeping an especially close eye on the panda has he struggled to move properly in acupressure cuffs.

And right next to a massive, cylindrical black cannon, flanked by paintings, marble flooring, an old goat, and a private enforcement of wolves - the peacock was there.

Shen.

"Greetings panda," the peacock began, moving forward with a confident smirk. "We meet a - "

"Just a second," Po interrupted, twitching as the cuffs tightened a bit more. "Anyone got any spare acupuncture needles? These things are starting to chafe."

The Five groaned in annoyance, while Alf fidgeted. Po turned back to the peacock, and walked nonchalantly forwards to make eye contact with him.

"You got any spare needles?" Po queried.

Shen simply felt flabbergasted. He pointed a stray feather to his right, where a box of needles lay idly waiting. Po walked over, trying to somehow shove one into his paws - but because of the restrictive cuffs, only managed to cut himself over and over.

"Ow!"

"Yeeha!"

"Ooh!"

"Yowch!"

"ENOUGH!" Shen roared. "FORGET ABOUT THE NEEDLES!"

A pair of wolf soldiers shoved Po to the ground, while the rest of the soldiers tightened their circle around the Five and Alf. The old goat - tears just twinkling in her eyes, retreated to the musty darkness of the pillars supporting the multi-layered room.

"The _Furious Five_ ," Shen remarked, smiling. "Legends in China speak of your greatness."

"Really?" Mantis emphasized. "Which ones?"

"Shut up Mantis," Monkey spat.

"So forgive me for the suspicion," Shen noted. "But why - why in the name of _kung fu_ would you betray your own - Master Shifu, isn't it? And why - why would you ever give up the _Dragon Warrior?"_

"Who's a panda," Zhong noted, emerging suddenly from the circle of soldiers. "This whole story might seem kinda fishy at first."

"You vouched for them?" Shen returned, confused. "Zhong - this story makes no logical sense!"

"I know," Zhong forced. "But - we already knew from the news scrolls that the Dragon Warrior was a little - _weird."_

"Hey!" Po shouted out, about ten feet away and kneeling down. "I'm right here!"

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "You try spending your entire life training for something - trying to impress your father - and then have some stupid _destiny_ take it all away. Wouldn't you be angry?"

Alf gasped, beginning to see what she was doing.

All of them had read the files and information on Shen over the past few weeks. The Five, Po, and Alf had an elementary understanding that Shen was in-line to rule Gongmen City - before the prophecy of a warrior of "black and white" came along, and diverted him from his plans.

Yet only Tigress had managed to make the connection behind Shen and his background, exploit his hatred of predetermined destiny to their own advantage - so Alf felt more comfortable now, but still - the feeling of recklessness pervaded throughout Tigress' aura. It was admittedly strategic and well-planned - but it still didn't feel like Tigress. That would have to be discussed later.

"Yes," Shen noted, eyes glazing over in nostalgia. "Yes I would actually…"

The peacock walked away, pacing around the marble flooring. Po was still irritated that much of all "this" made no sense to him - why Shen and his wolves acted so strangely around him, and when the rest of Tigress' plan would start working.

Right now, they were sitting ducks.

"I apologize for the rudeness," Shen noted. "You five have done me a great service in bringing me the Dragon Warrior - and the fact that he's a panda, oh…"

Po's blood began boiling again, seeing Shen stare at him in an awkward manner. "Why. Does. It. Matter. That. I'm. A. Panda?"

"In time my chubby friend," Shen remarked gleefully. "As for you Five - you'll be rewarded _handsomely_ for your deeds."

The Five and Alf nodded in agreement, as Tigress stepped a bit more forward. "Actually Lord Shen, we'd like to serve under you."

By now the Five and Alf (maybe even Po) could see her general train of thought. Shen had definitely kept more cannons in here than the one they were seeing - but as time passed, they grew worried that the peacock might be storing them alternatively in a different spot, perhaps a factory. Tigress was almost definitely trying to play for time, which meant the rest of the cannons (or at least their locations) had to be known as quickly as possible. The twenty or so wolf soldiers around them (even Shen) could be easily taken down, especially since only Po was trapped in the cuffs - but not before manipulating a few locations out of them.

"Serve?" the peacock noted. "Serve me? Really…"

Shen walked straight up to Tigress, casually but prominently sharpening a few of his blades. "You must forgive all the suspicion - this rather seems too good to be true…"

"Fine, hang around with these morons," Tigress spat, pointing out at the wolves. "See how far that gets you."

The wolves growled, but Shen was miraculously still smiling. He watched Tigress retreat to the rest of the Five - trying to see if even a hint of concern was being given off from anyone towards Po.

The Five were completely apathetic. Shen smiled again.

"I sympathize with your struggles," Shen noted, sighing. "But yes - you're right. Much rather trust five of the greatest masters in China than my army of buffoons…"

The wolves snarled again, but Shen shut them down before turning to Tigress. "Well, Master Tigress and the rest - I thank you for your service. How would you like to be rewarded?"

"Actually let's just skip that nonsense and just get to fixing your cannons," Tigress remarked, acting bored.

Alf smiled underneath his black mask. Her acting had gotten a bit better.

"Fixing?" Shen noted. "My cannons need - "

"Lord Shen, they're good designs, but they're really dated," Viper added, beginning to catch on. "I mean, if you're just relying on these idiots and those defective cannons - well, I wouldn't put too much faith in - "

"Shut up girl," a wolf soldier interrupted. "I'll rip your head o - "

"Quiet fool, she's right," Shen noted, walking privately to Zhong to whisper in his ear. "I always suspected the Seeker technology was imperfect. Perhaps because we can't get inside their ship and see the full blueprints or something - go accompany them."

"Accompany them where?" Zhong returned. "To the area you showed me? The ship?"

"No you fool," Shen bit back. "No one knows about the Seeker connection but me. Take them downstairs to our newest batch of cannons. See if they can really turn the cannons more deadly or powerful - if not, kill them right then and there."

"You still don't trust them, do you?" Zhong admitted with a smirk.

"Their story still seems like utter nonsense," Shen observed. "Yet they gave me a panda - an actual _panda_ \- something which places a lot of my doubt in your ability to do _what I tell you to do_."

Zhong gulped, old memories resurfacing. "I'll do what you say now."

"Good," Shen breathed, moving back to the center of the Throne Room as the Five, Alf, Po, and the wolves awaited his next words. "We have a number of new cannons downstairs on the eighth floor and - "

Shen stopped his words midway, walking forward gently. His eyes fell onto the only black, completely covered figure who hadn't said anything yet.

"I'm sorry I never acknowledged you," Shen noted. "You are?"

The wolves rounded closer to the figure, chuckling.

"Escort," one of them said gleefully.

"Rider," another said cackling.

"Master Swallower," a final wolf retorted.

A burst of laughter from the surrounding wolves. It took all of Alf's patience and foresight to keep quiet during all of this.

Tigress however, again de-escalated the situation. "She's an escort we brought along. She did wonders for our team, and we thought she might do wonders for your men."

Shen shook his head in pure amusement. "A panda Dragon Warrior and the prostitute of the Jade Palace - life really has changed since I've been back in Gongmen… Zhong, take two of your _thirstiest_ men - "

The wolves howled and giggled, pinching Alf's sides and disrespectfully smacking his bottom.

" - and yourself, and accompany Master Tigress and the escort down to both your private rooms and where the cannons are." Shen finished. "And this time - do what I tell you to _do_."

Zhong nodded sadly, moving forward to brush past Alf, the howling wolves, and Tigress. "Yes sir…"

Tigress and Alf began following the Boss Wolf back down the staircase. Alf ignored the two overenthusiastic wolves nudging him from either side, choosing to pay attention to the panda and the rest of the Five - still remaining with Shen.

He was worried about Po. He was worried about the rest of the Five. He saw the old goat come back out, crying. Shen dragged Po to the center of the Throne Room.

Tigress gently pulled Alf away, squeezing modestly to give him some desperately needed assurance.

This _had_ to work.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _First off, apologies for missing my usual Friday deadline - FF net rekt my acct randomly and I couldn't access my login for a while. Rest assured, this Friday itself (basically in 3-4 days) I'll post a new chapter as compensation :) I like keeping routines going._

 _This chapter is short-ish, but only bc I wanted to take a breather and sort of set up the trajectory for the next few "arcs". Next chapter for instance is quite heavy, and the chapter after that, etc… Anyone who knows me knows I love to plan stuff in advance - and right now I'm planning stuff that will happen at the end of KFP 3. Yes you heard me right - I love planning far ahead! (Makes payoffs more rewarding) Plus no one likes endless chapters of heavy drama - I like oscillating! (between heavy and light chapters)_

 _So this is a nice, fun chapter to just see our fav. Characters again and roll the ball further down story-wise._

 _And, since we're now at 99 reviews (wtf?) and it's new years (actually not, but close enough) - I'm gonna make a fake review of this story, under this acct name to reach 100! Check it out, I think you'll get some good laughs outta it. :D_

 _Support yeah is great… (he said excitedly. :D) And again my apologies for the wait time (but more for the breaking of my Friday "guarantee") - expect a new chapter this Friday itself. :D (3-4 days)_

 _~TW_


	26. KFP 2:9

**"Cannonical"**

* * *

"Come on just a little bit girlie, I promise I won't bite..."

"She's quiet too, I love it when they're quiet..."

Alf felt like ripping the two wolves' vocal chords out. Tigress seemed to notice how much they were putting the Seeker through, because at numerous points in time she managed to calm the two overbearing wolves down with a silent death glare. In truth, Tigress felt incredibly guilty - although nearly everyone in the Jade Palace made fun of Alf on a regular basis, the "joke" had never gone this far - and some portion of her wondered what kind of self-restraint Alf would need to have in order to play along. Physical beatings, humiliation, isolation, torture, discrimination, and a whole host of other negative emotions were probably nothing new to him - but _emasculated_ humiliation? That had to irritate even Alf's extraordinarily patient senses.

So Tigress had vowed to herself - as soon as they had enough distance between the Throne Room and the cannon room - where no one would hear, she would signal Alf to "cut loose".

The small group - Alf and his overbearing wolf duo, and Tigress following Zhong - gently traipsed down the final few stairs to come to a large, metallic chamber seemingly shielded within the tower. There was no incident light, so it really was a large antechamber filled with identical copies of the metal cannon they had seen in the Throne Room.

Alf and Tigress gasped quietly.

There were at least fifty cannons - lined in parallel to each other set on hard stone flooring. Overseeing them were small scrolls falling from the ceiling, attached by thin strings - Alf guessed them to be plans for constructing the cannons. There were no wolf soldiers down here, because there wasn't any space - the entire stone room was packed with strange black powder as well, held in heavy bags that lined the edges of the "citadel".

 _Thunk_. The double doors shut behind them, as the entire group entered the room.

"Get to work," Zhong ordered, shoving Tigress nonchalantly inside. "You two, have fun downstairs."

The two wolves gleefully hissed, roughly grabbing Alf by the neck and hips.

He breathed slowly, waiting for it.

Tigress nodded.

Alf smiled, clenching his fists in primal satisfaction.

"She might be a virgin," one of the wolves noted. "Think you can take all of my - AUGH!"

 _SMACK._

 _THUNK._

 _CRACK._

Tigress had only needed one solid punch to knock Zhong out, but was horrified to find Alf beating the wolves senselessly into the hard ground. Thankfully, he had kept his mask on - but still, Tigress hopped over the Boss Wolf's unconscious body to make her way to Alf - still wordlessly punching and kicking the motionless bodies on floor.

"Alf," Tigress beckoned, trying to grab his arms away. "Alf! ALF! THEY'RE DONE!"

But it was no use. Tigress merely was shoved roughly backwards and forwards by Alf's elbows, so she resolutely looped her forearms around his, dragging him back.

"Stop!" Tigress forced, feeling the Seeker squirm with tremendous effort underneath even her powerful grip. "ALF! STOP! YOU WANT PO AND THE OTHERS TO GET HURT?! WHAT IF SHEN HEARS THIS?!"

Almost immediately, Alf relaxed into her grip. Tigress gently pulled herself off, sliding his mask off with two fingers.

The usual warm kindness and casual gaze wasn't there anymore. Alf's face was livid, red, and heated - a single stream of moisture ran down from his right eye down his face, tear running onto the black collar. Tigress tried to warn him, but it was too late.

 _FIZZ._

"AUGH! SCREW THIS! SCREW THIS STUPID COLLAR SCREW THIS MISSION SCREW PO FOR BRINGING ME HERE SCREW EVERYBODY..."

Alf slid down to the ground, leaning against a wall. He began clenching his knees together while wiping his face - making sure no more tears would activate the collar again.

Tigress stepped forward, kneeling down to his level.

"I'm sorry," she gently breathed.

"Piss off," Alf fired back immediately, still flashing murderous glances at the two unconscious wolves practically imprinted into the rock flooring.

"It went too far," Tigress boldly declared. "I - I went too far."

"I've been called many things," Alf replied, wiping his face a final time. "Scum, fleshie, furless weakling - but I've _never_ been treated like a damn escort..."

Tigress kept quiet, waiting for a moment for Alf to calm down. "I thought it would just be a funny joke."

"Yeah well that's the problem ain't it?" Alf spat, gritting his teeth. "All the freakin' jokes - and the girl names, and now you're doing all these complicated plans without telling anyone..."

Tigress sighed, sitting down next to Alf. She waited for him to pout a bit, then move slightly away as per his usual "I'm angry" reaction - then she smiled.

"Before Po and you came to the Jade Palace - " Tigress started.

"Shouldn't we talk about this later?" Alf noted, looking at the cannons. "I mean we're in this ro - "

"No I want to say it now, and we have time," Tigress cut across, satisfied to see the three wolves completely still on the ground. "Like I said, before Po and you came into the Jade Palace - you have to understand - kung fu was strictly _kung fu_."

Alf nodded his head, a bit unsure what she meant.

But Tigress kept up a nostalgic smile. "Training. Hard work. Lots of pain. Don't get me wrong, I loved it - but after seeing the stupid stuff Po does, and all the crazy jokes and laughing..."

"You felt like you were missing out on something _awesome_ ," Alf concluded. "Yeah - I get that."

"You guys, I mean - you two made _everyone_ lighten up," Tigress returned, broad grin now stretched across her face. "Seriously, I don't think I've ever laughed before you guys came along..."

Alf chuckled, completely believing her.

Tigress however, quickly returned to her normal, stern stare that was so often associated with her character. "But - but I guess people like _me_ always end up taking the jokes _too_ far. I won't make that same mistake again."

She stood up suddenly, seriousness washing over her while Alf sighed - guilt running through him.

"Hold up," Alf called out, grasping her back. "No one's saying you have to be this super logical, emotionless _machine_ all the time, like you were two years ago... no offense..."

"None taken," Tigress smoothly replied.

"...but that doesn't mean you start putting the team in danger, or just find any opportunity to make fun of me," Alf noted gently. "You need to be inbetween."

Alf paused, trying to somehow convey what he was trying to say more clearly. "Lemme put it this way - be _serious_ Tigress when we're out on the field - be all _jokey_ Tigress when it's just _us_. The Five. Po."

"And you," Tigress finished, grinning.

"And me," Alf concluded, also smiling.

"I'm sorry again," Tigress noted, sighing deeply. "It's just - coming from my background with Shifu, I guess I just sort of got _too_ carefree recently."

"Maybe to compensate for such a shitty childhood," Alf guessed with a smirk.

"Ironic, coming from you," Tigress observed with a playful wink. "But yes - it might have. I don't know - I'm still trying to figure out what _kind_ of leader I'm supposed to be."

"Leader?" Alf huffed mockingly. "But the Dragon Warrior is - "

"Oh we _both_ know that's just a title thing," Tigress interrupted, glancing at the massive cannons behind her. "Maybe _one_ day Po can lead but for now - guess it's just me. I guess after the whole _Dragon Scroll_ thing went out the window - I'm sort of confused as to what I should do."

"Confused?" Alf questioned. "How?"

"Alf, I wasn't lying about what I said back there with Shen," Tigress denoted. "I trained my _entire_ life for _one_ thing. Then you get that _one_ thing taken away - then what do you do?"

Alf smiled, walking close to her to punch her mockingly in the bicep. It only hurt himself, but the tension felt more removed now.

"You're by far - the strongest and most skilled master in the Jade Palace," Alf stated confidently. "You lead the Furious Five and by all means - the _Dragon_ freaking _Warrior_."

Tigress' expression lightened, uplifting as Alf kept heaping praises.

"Cut out the insecurities, the _2nd-best_ attitude, and the passive-aggressive _jokes_ ," Alf stressed, standing up straight to try to meet her higher eyeline. "You don't need some stupid scroll. To myself, and probably a lot more people - you _are_ the Dragon Scroll."

Tigress kept completely quiet during this, which signaled Alf to finish. "You're the best. And you push us to be better."

Tigress watched Alf smile confidently at her. Although she would never say it, nor tell Alf to his face - there was something about the Seeker's words that inherently made her soul connect with him in a very intimate way. She was still Tigress - by and far the most emotionally distant master of perhaps all time - but Alf was unlike any other person she had met, a hell of a lot kinder, and somehow always aware of a person's truest feelings - even those as well-guarded as hers.

It wasn't a _Seeker_ thing, it was an _Alf_ thing.

"Thanks Alexa," Tigress chortled, giggling.

Alf sighed, privately realizing _that_ might never fully go away. "And - _she's_ back."

"Don't worry, I get it," Tigress noted. "Different sides for different scenarios. Thanks to you too - for helping me see that."

"I just want you to be the _kickass_ leader everyone says you are," Alf gently remarked.

"Which makes me think, where does that leave _you_?" Tigress questioned, prodding her eyebrows. "Because if I'm the _kickass_ leader, Po is the warrior in training, the _Four_ are the supporting masters, and Shifu is the wise old master - what role are you gonna be?"

Alf groaned, tiring himself already. "I dunno. Let's just focus on these cannons first."

And Tigress obeyed, only because if there was even a _single_ person in China whose advice she would even remotely consider - it was Alf's.

 **. . .**

"Hey fox, mind handing me that noodle - "

"Shut up."

Yu was in no mood to discuss anything anymore. After taking several uneventful naps - most of which just lasted below five minutes in duration - she had decided to be proactive. No more rage, no more frustration, no more time spent alone with the annoying wolf - just a clear focus on doing _useful_ things. This was perhaps by the still bright noon sun, which shone strong but clear light downwards to bathe the hazy atmosphere of the docks. Noise was still very quiet however, as it had been for the last few hours.

There were practical aspects to it too. Although Yu had confidence in the Five and Po's fighting capabilities, she found it unlikely that the soldiers lying unconscious on the docks would remain unconscious for much longer - Yu guessed at most an hour or so. To her recollection, Mantis had put a precautionary paralytic acupuncture technique on them - but this wouldn't prevent them for calling for help, or worse - sounding off any alarms. Thus, the best technique seemed to be focusing on what she _could_ do from the isolated confines of the docks - learn more about the Yongshi. This seemed even more imperative when Yu realized that she had no _idea_ when the Five, Alf, and Po would return.

Empty scroll and quill in hand, Yu approached the awake wolf soldier. She sat down, hurriedly scribbling words and thoughts into the open surface.

 _Problem_ _: Yongshi_

 _Target_ _: Alf (maybe me, maybe more people)_

 _Info_ _:_

Yu paused, at a loss for words.

"Whatcha doing fox?" the wolf snarled, huffing. "Trying to figure out how the scroll knows you _killed_ your own parents?"

Yu eyed the still untouched scroll lying ten feet away, but only for a moment. She was determined not to engage with the wolf.

 _Info_ _:_

 _-Super shady organization_

 _-Super powerful (like above Oogway?)_

 _-Old_

 _-Around the world_

 _-Has interest in Alf, or something related to Alf, or..._

"Why do you keep writing some shit down?" the wolf coughed and squealed in his chains, clearly thirsty. "By the Scrolls, gimme some damn water!"

"Helps me think through stressful stuff," Yu noted. "What else you know about the Yongshi?"

"Screw off," the wolf remarked.

Yu brought open a small cannister of water, shoving it to the wolf's lips. The thirsty soldier drank a few sips immediately, but the fox tore it away before his thirst could be fully quenched.

"Bitch..."

"What else?" Yu emphasized.

"Why don't you ask the scroll?" the wolf spat.

Yu kicked out savagely, crushing the wolf's tail underneath her foot.

"AUGH! YOU FREAKIN' - "

"ENOUGH GAMES!" Yu roared, confident the chains would keep the angry wolf at bay. "WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW!?'

"ASK. THE DAMN. SCROLL! PLEASE!" the wolf yelped, squiggling.

Yu seethed, releasing her foot to harshly stomp over to the fallen scroll - picking it up. She completely bypassed the idiotic riddle, turning back over to the mountain logo.

Yu breathed deeply, trying not to think about her parents.

She pressed her fingers to the mountain logo.

Black ink burst into existence.

 _ **Your name is Yu.**_

 _ **You are a fox.**_

 _ **You are too weak.**_

 _ **Only Seekers may seek.**_

Yu sighed, keeping the scroll down. She stared at the laughing wolf, who was rolling around in his chains.

"Stupid girl," the wolf spat. "Got your answer, didn't it? The scroll gives the answer it pleases!"

"It's obviously got some weird black magic with it," Yu noted. "But I've never seen something like this..."

Yu narrowed her eyes, looking at both of her paws with a sudden idea. She pressed one finger of her left paw and the full four fingers on her other paw to the mountain logo.

The black ink morphed now.

 _ **What do you seek, Seeker?**_

Yu grinned, mentally thanking the wolf for teaching the trick to her.

"Ask it why a pretty little _fox_ like you would _kill_ her own parents," the wolf grinned sadistically.

Ignoring him, Yu breathed deeply. "Who are the Yongshi?"

The black ink changed shape yet again.

 _ **The Yongshi you cannot see.**_

 _ **They live near a tree.**_

The wolf guffawed with laughter. "Even the Yongshi - haha - fond of the same dumbass metaphors..."

Yu pressed on. "Why do the Yongshi want to meet the Seeker?"

Black ink radiated.

 _ **Seekers are not usually free.**_

 _ **The only ones to control one are we.**_

"What is it saying?" the wolf growled, jittering in his locked position. "Tell me!"

"Should we be scared of the Yongshi?" Yu asked rather instinctually.

The black ink was still for a moment.

Yu grew worried, picking up her "organizing stress" scroll - writing down more details about the Yongshi.

"What is it saying?!" the wolf again called out.

The black ink began slowly moving again.

 _ **We wish you not death,**_

 _ **But we wish you neither health.**_

 _ **We want to make you see,**_

 _ **What it means to be free.**_

 _ **His nightmares are nothing but what he will one day see.**_

Yu thought about asking another question but stopped herself, realizing the ink was still changing. She wrote down some more information. She was utterly shocked that the scroll managed to connect the nightmares Alf was having.

 _ **You have proven your mind is fine,**_

 _ **So await another one of our signs.**_

The ink was still changing, but Yu couldn't stop herself. "Wait! What sign?! What should we be look for? What happened to Alf? What happened to the Seekers?!"

The black ink exploded outwards, scribbling faster than Yu had ever seen.

 _ **Yesterday, the snow leopard has activated the beacon,**_

 _ **Today, the peacock has stolen a Seekers' secret,**_

 _ **Tomorrow, Kai will show the Seeker's history.**_

Yu kept her eyes glued to the scroll, still watching the black ink shift a final time. She first two lines made sense (even if in metaphorical terms) - but the final name made no sense to Yu... she hadn't even heard of it.

 _ **When our signs come, you shall know.**_

 _ **But for now, merely plant the seeds you will sow.**_

 _ **The Seeker is not of this world,**_

 _ **But this world is not what you think it to be.**_

 _ **The Seekers were never defeated,**_

 _ **They merely seceded.**_

 _ **Now live, knowing there will be soon two paths to take, with no ruse.**_

 _ **And the Seeker shall have to choose.**_

Yu gulped, trying to process everything. The ink finally started fading. She only barely managed to write a few words down. She felt more and more confused with each and every line.

 **You people know very little, so prepare for the shock,**

 **Of learning about the history of your world, your rock.**

 **So embrace the truth, it can set you free.**

 **You killed your parents out of pure mercy.**

Yu didn't wait for the ink to go away this time, tears and memories flooding through her again. She ignored the clambering wolf, tossing him a bucket of noodles before retreating into the ship once more - wailing and screaming against the mast for all of Gongmen to hear.

"Thanks for that," the wolf growled.

Yu turned sharply behind her.

The wolf's chains were on the floor. The large frame of the soldier began advancing on Yu. The fox noted the noodle's chopsticks carefully placed into the discarded lock attached to the chains.

He had picked it.

Yu tried to scream, but the wolf's paws were around her throat already.

"So many hours of my life..." the wolf growled, crushing Yu's windpipe. "... wasted listening to your stupid, idiotic, dumbass stories and questions..."

Yu gasped for air, flapping wildly against the much stronger wolf.

"But now I have so _much_ information to give to Shen," the wolf grinned, savagely bringing his feral face closer to Yu's. "Your fleshie friend, the scroll, and our dear friends of the Jade Palace..."

Yu gasped a final time, feeling consciousness slowly give out.

For a moment.

 _WHACK. CLUNK._

"AHH! WHAT THE - " the wolf attempted to yell.

 _SNIP. THRACK._

Yu opened her eyes gradually. The pressure had disappeared from her neck, and the wolf soldier was once more laying unconscious on the wooden floor - but there was a far bigger problem standing directly in front of her.

Positioned perfectly on Oogway's ancient staff, and twirling his whiskers in rage as the fox trembled in front of him - Master Shifu stared at Yu with a cold, demanding gaze.

 **. . .**

"AUGH! Okay will you quit it with the pointless punching and - AUGH!"

Po squealed, feeling Shen's clawed feet shove themselves into his ribs again as the panda collapsed onto the marble flooring of the Throne Room. The rest of the Five were doing a good job of acting emotionless - Shen had been kicking Po around the room for a while, and the only one who seemed even remotely affected had been Viper. Even the old goat seemed restless - she merely sat against the pillar in the corner of the Throne Room, watching the commotion with a silent, weary gaze. Still, there were the jeering wolves escorting and surrounding them - so Po really wished that whatever Tigress and Alf were upto downstairs - it would start quickly.

"So many _years_ of not seeing a panda," Shen spat, yanking Po up by the ears. "And now - the universe _drops_ one into my lap - who turns out to be..."

 _THUNK._

"... the Dragon..."

 _CRACK._

"... WARRIOR!"

Po gapsed for breath, in truth acting like the blows were hurting him more than it actually did. He knew Shen straight away was not a particularly masterful user of kung fu - sure he was offensively-inclined, and was trained - but there had been no way he could have defeated the Masters' Council without the cannon.

All of this seemed to be stalling for time.

"I think I'll take my _time_ killing you," Shen breathed. "After all - torturing a _panda_ after all these years..."

"Why - augh - why am I the last panda you've ever seen?" Po breathed, coughing. "That - that everyone's ever seen?"

The wolves howled, but Po sneered at them. A lot of recent confusion had been going on - the radish nightmare, his late father Mr. Ping's secrets, the red tattoo, the random visions of crying baby pandas...

"Oh it's a _wonderful_ story," Shen scowled, marching over to drag the Soothsayer over to Po. "Tell our chubby _black and white_ friend what is his _destiny!_ "

The wolves started to snicker again. Po glanced at the rest of the Five, who remained firmly emotionless.

The old goat remained silent, crying gently. Shen smacked her viciously across the face, dragging her horns upward.

"GO ON!" Shen bit. "TELL US HOW HE'S DESTINED TO AVENGE HIS FAMILY! HIS RACE!"

Po was growing infuriated. Again the vagueness was being thrown around - something about his family, the rest of the pandas, and Shen - it was all pointing towards some inexplicable feeling that felt old, historical - malevolent.

"WOULD YOU GUYS SPILL THE BEANS?!" Po roared, feeling genuinely angry. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PANDAS?!"

The Soothsayer said nothing, perhaps even appearing a bit broken. Shen shoved her aside, pulling Po's face to the side.

" _I_ happened," Shen ferociously declared, smashing Po the marble flooring again.

 **. . .**

"Look at the level of _detail_ on these things," Alf noted, brushing a hand past the thick metallic underside of a nearby cannon. "Doesn't even look like Shen could have made it..."

"Focus Alexandra," Tigress whispered about twenty feet again, voice carrying through the dark room. "We need to find out where the rest of the cannons are."

To Alf's satisfaction, the three wolves (including the Boss Wolf) were still unconscious and very much immobilized on the ground. Scouring the room had yielded some basic information - that the scrolls hanging above the cannons typically listed how old the cannon was, usability, weight, etc. Bags of black powder seemed to somehow be used in the cannons' firing mechanism, but Alf was unsure how it was being used. The powder seemed flammable of course, but there must have been more to the process than that.

"Anything?" Tigress called out.

"Nothing," Alf returned.

There had been virtually no indication where the rest of the cannons were. There was a basic map seated on a table to Alf's right - but this only provided village locations for looting metal, or names of wolf soldiers designated to protect the cannons in shifts.

A glitter.

Alf turned around, realizing he had passed his hand over the backside of the cannon.

He passed over it again.

The glittering returned.

"Come look at this," Tigress called out, again a significant distance away in the dark, large room. "I think I found some cryptic message..."

Alf passed his hand over the backside again and again.

It glittered. Then stopped.

And again.

Then stopped.

"Alf?" Tigress called out in irritation. "Where are you?"

"Gimme a second," Alf urged, running both hands over the backside of the cannon.

The glitter grew even stronger. Alf felt an awkward, pulsing sensation go up through his arms, and into his body.

"What are you doing - " Tigress whispered, walking closer to him. " - HEY! DON'T DO THAT!"

Alf ignored her. The sensation continued, and the cannon almost felt - alive to him. There was a strange sensation coming up through his body - it felt ancient, primordial, almost dormant.

"Your collar!" Tigress beckoned, trying to remove Alf's hands from the cannon backside. "Alf stop that!"

Alf barely noticed that his collar had started fizzing and rotating gently.

"It doesn't hurt," he calmly assured. "It - this feels different."

The cannon began to smoke. Empty particles began drifting out through the opening.

Tigress roughly pulled Alf away. "That's enough."

"Hey!" Alf noted. "I was doing something!"

"We don't know what these cannons are capable of," Tigress denounced. "It might be dangerous to touch - especially for living things with _metal_ attached to them."

Alf sighed, shifting his collar back into its original place. "It didn't hurt okay? This cannon has some weird mechanism..."

Tigress groaned, running her paws underneath the cannon underside. "What weird mechanism?"

Alf startled.

"What the hell?" he let out. "Do it again."

Tigress repeated the motion.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"Alma..." Tigress started with a scowl.

"You're not doing it right!" Alf furiously interrupted. "Do it _exactly_ as I did it."

Tigress mock-grinned, perfectly imitating the location, speed, and length of Alf's previous hand movements.

Again nothing happened. Even the air seemed to slow down, just so Alf could note how much _nothing_ had just happened.

"Stop wasting time trying to understand where and what these cannons are from," Tigress affirmed, lightly pulling Alf away from the cannon. "Help me with this message."

Alf walked with her, but flashed a glance back at the cannon - rapidly conforming to the sea of other cannons in the distance.

He shrugged his shoulders, confused once more.

"Look at this," Tigress urged, pushing a scroll into Alf's hands.

Alf peered down at the scribbled words.

 _ **Noitacol. Red. Blue. Yellow. Dragon. Peacock. Four.**_

 _ **Burn this message after reading it.**_

 _ **-Zhong, Commander in Charge**_

"Huh, never knew the Boss Wolf's name was _Zhong_..." Tigress remarked, apparently having missed the last line previously.

"First word looks like _location_ spelled backwards," Alf noted immediately. "These wolves totally suck at encyption stuff..."

"Aren't _you_ a smart girl?" Tigress mocked, having clearly worked out the first bit already. "I need help with the _rest_ of the message."

Alf read over the words again. To be frank, it felt like utter jibberish to him.

"It's _obviously_ supposed to somehow communicate the location of the rest of the cannons," Alf started. "Maybe the first letters of each words? R, B, Y - "

"You know a place called _RBYDP4_?" Tigress huffed. "Thought of that. Makes no sense."

Alf pursed his lips, cracking his neck. "Red blue yellow - Chinese significance?"

Tigress took a moment to evaluate. "Fits the dragon and peacock words, but doesn't seem connected to a location."

"AUGH!"

Tigress and Alf's heads shot up, trying to secure the location of the noise. It seemed to be coming from above, at least five floors above the ceiling. Alf felt his heart beat a bit quicker as the vocal tones started to blend and form clear words.

"AHH! OW!"

"I'LL KILL YOU PANDA!"

"Po's in trouble," Tigress declared, beginning to roll the scroll into her paws and tuck into her waistband. "Let's go."

"Wait wait!" Alf called out, reeling her back. "We just knocked out three wolves, remember? And we don't have the location figured out y - "

"Po's in trouble, and we _have_ the location scroll," Tigress noted. "No recklessness. No more stalling. Let's go up there and kick everyone's _ass_."

Alf's smile came slowly, but it remained. He followed Tigress immediately, confidence restored and doubt in her abilities far removed.

The pair sprinted past the open double gates that would lead back to the tower.

"Hold up for a second - wear this," Tigress called out, before Alf could proceed upwards. She gave him his mask back, which Alf promptly shoved over his face. "Give me your collar."

"What?" Alf noted. "How can I _give_ you my - HEY!"

Tigress brushed her paw - clearly holding something - against the metallic collar, then pulled the mask back over his entire head. Alf saw the traces of black powder make contact with the surface, causing sparks before a ball of fire was now held in Tigress' paw.

"So _not_ cool," Alf sighed, watching her eye the open cannon room with determination. "Hey - doesn't that hurt?"

Tigress merely smiled at him, completely unfazed by the fact that she had fire in her paws. "Hardcore, remember?"

Alf smiled, watching her literally _throw_ the fireball into the various bags of black powder lining the edges of the cannon room.

More sparks. A thick puff of smoke began clouding the entire space.

"Let's make sure these three idiots don't burn or choke to death," Tigress noted, dragging the two wolf soldiers and Zhong by their tails - casually chucking them out an open window to her right.

"Hey!" Alf exclaimed, worried enough to run to the window opening. "They'll fall to their - oh."

As it turned out, the floor they were on wasn't that high up. Alf saw the three bodies lie crumpled on the stone flooring of the Palace Courtyard - noon sunlight clearly showing three alive, but probably injured bodies shifting in sudden confusion. Gongmen City still looked somewhat peaceful, its buildings standing high and proud, undisturbed and vibrant - which seemed hilarious to Alf, considering how much nonsense had ensued since they had entered the Tower of _whatever_ Flame.

"How'd you know we weren't that high up?" Alf asked.

"I didn't," Tigress answered simply.

She raced upwards, leaving an amused Alf in her wake.

The Seeker sprinted up, following her quick movements up the winding staircase while keeping a careful ear on the level of noise coming from the topmost floor. His immediate worries were that Po was being hurt somewhat - which seemed partially inevitable, but Alf wanted to make sure that it was nothing that was truly life-threatening. There were no cannon noises yet, so Shen hadn't _yet_ blasted the rest of the Five and Po to near nonexistence. However, Alf knew that as soon as Tigress and himself reached the top floor - especially without their wolf escorts - Shen would immediately order his batallion of stupid thugs to attack. That was assuming of course - that he hadn't figured out their little _ruse_ already.

"Welcome, welcome - the _Furiously Terrible Five Actors_!" Shen screamed.

Evidently, the peacock already had.

Alf at last reached the top floor of the stairs, seeing Tigress stare in horror at the peacock standing in the center of the Throne Room. The rest of the Five were practically outnumbered four to one by heavily armored wolves - but this wasn't the main problem.

The big issue was Shen's classic silver blades - one of which was held at Po's neck.

"For the record, I find the _Furiously Terrible Five_ to be an excellent name for an acting troupe," Mantis noted pointlessly. "So just calm down and - "

"And _for the record_ , I never fully believed your _stupid_ little lie in the first place," Shen spat, pushing the blade further into Po's neck fur. "The Furious Five and their prostitute, delivering the _Dragon Warrior_ to me..."

"I don't know," Tigress fired back, getting into a confident battle stance. "You seemed pretty _stupid_ to me."

"The only reason you're all still alive is because of this chubby _fatso_ right here..." Shen slithered, pointing to Po. "A panda after all these years - think of my _belief_ in your lie as _charity_. The generosity ends _now_."

The wolf soldiers rounded closer around the rest of the Five, who kept guarded stances against all. Mostly, they were waiting for Tigress' signal - but they were also waiting for Po to easily disarm Shen (which everyone knew he could do) and start the fight.

Yet the panda did no such thing, breathing heavily and staring straight ahead.

Alf looked behind him.

A large red tattoo was painted on the wall where Po was looking at.

"Po isn't right," Alf whispered, getting in his own battle stance. "We need to get Shen first."

"What's happening to him?" Tigress rhetorically asked, growling at Shen in the distance.

"Guess I ended up outsmarting _you_ at your own game," Shen noted.

"Or maybe we _outsmarted_ you for getting you to believe us for a second," Tigress answered smoothly.

"Well both of you outsmarted me," Monkey denoted. "Because I _still_ don't know what the hell is supposed to be happening."

"Shen's got Po," Alf urged, growing more anxious. "We can't close the distance before he slits his throat!"

"Keep quiet and stay calm," Tigress returned.

"I'll give you all five seconds to surrender before I slice open your friend here," Shen firmly demanded, nodding to his wolf guards to press the rest of the Five deeper into a protective circle stance. " _Five_."

"Tigress," Alf begged, worrying even more. " _Please_. Let's just pretend to - "

" _Four_."

"He's going to try to kill Po no matter _what_ we do," Tigress harshly whispered back. "Our only chance is to close the distance and save Po, since _he's_ out in _Fairy-Land_ now..."

" _Three_."

"Uh guys?" Viper remarked, readying her tail against a nearby wolf. "Maybe we should try a distraction or something?"

"There's nothing in this world that would _distract_ me now," Shen responded confidently, pressing the blade further into Po's neck, satisfied to see the panda still unresponsive. " _Two_."

"It's too far," Alf observed, seeing the considerable paces it would take Tigress to get to Po before Shen could do anything. "Even _you_ aren't that fast."

"Trust me," Tigress replied, getting into her pouncing stance.

" _ONE!"_

"Screw this." Alf finally let out.

Perhaps it was the stress, perhaps it was seeing his best friend helpless in the face of certain death, or perhaps it was all the pent up frustration over the last few hours - but Alf felt fed up, annoyed, and disillusioned past the point of no return.

He pulled off his mask.

He watched the black garment float down to the green, marble floor.

A few seconds of pause.

Then realization.

It came in waves. The first was Shen - who stopped mid-slicing motion - baffled and shocked so strongly that he dropped the blade. The surrounding wolves stared at Alf with an enormous amount of confusion. The rest of the Five's jaws dropped, battle stances fading into merely alarmed poses. The Soothsayer, previously quiet and crying - stared slackjawed at the new face. Even _Po_ snapped out of his tattoo-induced trance, staring at Alf with a mixture of pity and sympathy.

The last was Tigress, who merely stared at Alf with concern and sadness - knowing what this meant.

Alf's face had been seen.

A _Seeker_ had been seen.

By too many witnesses. Too many to repress.

Alf had been spotted with the Jade Palace.

 _Alf_ had been spotted.

There was no turning back now.

The secret was out.

"Not a prostitute," Alf spoke firmly at the peacock. " _That_ seemed to distract you, didn't it _Shen_?"

Alf turned to Tigress, and nodded.

She smiled, launching forward.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Dense chapter! The next few are quite action/dense - fair warning..._

 _Just to clear the air - the events that happened towards the last end of this chapter - are NOT in any way tied to the prophecies that were foretold in Yu's scene - that's something else. ;) I'll leave it to you giddy readers to speculate - I will say that I'm not pulling sh** from my behind, I like to give clues and foreshadowing beforehand, so enjoy!_

 _And now we're back to our usual schedule - new chapters every Friday!_

 _Support is like - OMG WOAH WOAH WOAH_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Just realized that I like "puzzle" aspects in fics - didn't notice this before._


	27. KFP 2:10

**"The Not-So-Great Escape"**

* * *

"I can explain Master Shifu!" Yu called out, desperately searching around as if an invisible reason would burst into existence. "I - I - well Po really knocked me and Alf - "

"Quiet."

Shifu's voice was completely serious, and nearly silent in volume. He gently kicked over the fallen wolf soldier, beckoning Yu over to the mast of the boat.

A chilled breeze ran through the two individuals' fur, rocking the boat gently as well. Afternoon sunlight was beginning to fade, as the musty smell of seawater ran through Yu's nose. She wasn't exactly sure why she was picking up all the sensory details around her - perhaps it was the stress of having Shifu prematurely appear, or perhaps -

No, it was the only reason.

Stress. Pure, raw fear.

"The Seeker and the fox have to d _eliver_ food to the _Grandmasters' Council_ ," Shifu mockingly remembered, leaning Oogway's staff against the mast of the boat. "Did it occur to any of you that of _everyone_ in the Jade Palace - _Po_ would be the _worst_ liar?"

Yu sighed, agreeing with this completely. "Master Shifu, I can explain."

"I had a yearning suspicion that your excuse was based on a lie," Shifu continued, completely ignoring Yu's remarks. "The sudden leave. The Seeker not telling me anything. Po's - _nervous_ faces..."

Yu gulped, almost face-palming.

"My suspicions grew when I realized that the Seeker hadn't packed anything," Shifu noted. "And after a carefully planned scroll to the _Grandmasters' Council_ \- which didn't even realize that the Jade Palace had _caterers..."_

Yu again facepalmed.

"I confirmed my intuition after the Grandmasters' Council, Zeng, the local villagers, and most curiously - Mrs. Chen from the gift shop - " Shifu finally returned, frowning. " - all pointed to Po's pathetic lie. Needless to say, I now understand what's happening."

Yu sighed, walking pointlessly across the edge of the boat. Shifu had been so blunt, so calculating, so precise in this accusations that Yu felt it unnecessary to even try to squirm out of it.

"Po _kidnapped_ us," the fox let out gently. "Mantis and him did some weird pressure point - "

"You could have came back," Shifu firmly denied, whiskers twitching in anger. "You could have understood the repercussions of having a _Seeker_ run around unsupervised - along with a fox who _doesn't_ know kung fu..."

"We aren't like the Five, or even Po!" Yu desperately pushed. "We - we aren't your students, or your children! We're - "

"YOU BOTH ARE PART OF THE JADE PALACE!" Shifu roared suddenly, bringing the staff back to perch on top of it - meeting Yu at eye level. "THAT MAKES EVERY ACTION YOU BOTH TAKE - TIED TO US!"

Yu gritted her teeth, feeling an unusual sense of anger surge. Partially it was because of all the rage and frustration with the scroll, the wolf, the mission, being alone - but more was coming from Shifu's intoleration of the situation. Sure, they might have been able to return - but was that really such a massive situation to just let Alf and Yu hang out with the _team_ for a bit? Was Alf _that_ much of a security risk?

Of course he was, because he was tied to breaking Tai Lung out of Chor-Gom.

Or at least, that's what Shifu had shouted to the world.

"Who's _us_?" Yu queried, angered.

"Do _not_ think for even a _second_ that you and the Seeker - are like the rest of us," Shifu forced angrily. "Po and the Five are the sworn protectors of the Valley of Peace..."

"Which makes us?"

" _You_ are a glorified food delivery girl," Shifu spat. "The Seeker is a _temporary guest_ \- and I use that term with great hesitation."

Yu merely kept silent, shocked.

"I haven't forgotten your - selfless actions two years ago," Shifu noted, obviously referencing Tai Lung. "But the generosity is now proving to be risky to the Jade Palace."

"Alf has _never_ let himself seen in public," Yu urged, tears beginning to form. "For scroll's sake - he covers himself in a literal _trashbag_ when he fights alongside Po! When helping the Five! All because he respects you enough to let people keep believing the lie..."

"He is a _risk_ ," Shifu bluntly asserted, teeth showing now. " _This_ scenario - running away, or refusing to come back, or whatever - this proves that there'll be a point where I can't control him. Proves that he _doesn't_ listen. If he was here, I'd _shock_ him into next week..."

Yu's eyes were growing redder by the second, just now observing the button and device shoved away in Shifu's pockets - amazed and horrified that he had even brought it all the way. She wasn't sure why she was getting emotional - she wasn't even defending herself, she was only defending Alf.

"Why do you hate us?" Yu asked gently, sniffling.

"I don't hate you," Shifu noted. "You're a stupid, foolish little girl however..."

"Then why do you hate _him_?"

"Because the world does," Shifu finished simply. "Because as idealistic as your naive young mind can be - as many times as you can say _unfair, discrimination,_ or _wrong_ \- we all have to acknowledge reality at some point."

Yu coughed, dust suddenly getting into her lungs. She blinked and turned her head away, wiping away any remnant tears still trickling across her face. In some aspects, she was grateful that Shifu hadn't yet discovered the scrolls, the Yongshi information, or the haphazard way the Jade Palace had entered Gongmen - but there was one pertinent question that she felt important to ask now, especially given that Shifu was here.

But she waited for a few seconds - a moderate pause to concsciously ignore Shifu's past few words - then re-energize.

"The Five and Po might need you," Yu noted, carefully leaving out Alf's name. "They haven't been back in hours. You're going to help them right?"

Shifu merely flashed her another death glare.

"Let them learn their lesson."

 **. . .**

Alf was growing concerned at how long this pause was going.

Right after Tigress had sprung forward, knocked Shen ten feet back to the back wall of the Throne Room, had returned Po to a fighting stance - the peacock and the wolves kept a hard stare at Alf. The danger was mostly gone - Po was safe now, and willing to fight, the rest of the Five were active and ready for combat, and Tigress was confident they could demolish the twenty or so wolf soldiers standing in their way of capturing Shen.

Yet no combat could occur, since Shen and his forces kept a firmly shocked stare at Alf. The Throne Room was silent but packed - two forces of warriors staring at each other awkwardly while the Soothsayer leaned against a pillar, staring similarly at Alf.

"Uh guys we forfeit this _staring_ contest," Mantis interrupted, perched on Po's shoulder as per usual. "Can we just get to the part where we kick your guys' asses?"

"Shut up Mantis," Viper urged, tail cocked and ready for striking beside Tigress' leg.

"I'd heard whispers," Shen started, stepping forward - significantly away from his wolf guard. "Stories. Old folk tales. Rumors..."

The pure fascination that Shen had with an unmasked Alf was driving the peacock forward, not realizing that he was well out of the protective range of his wolf soldiers.

"But we hear rumors all the time!" Shen let out excitedly. "Lies! Myths! Legends! But - I - I - I _never_ would have thought they could be real..."

Shen's head swiveled convulsively, scanning every inch of Alf's features - almost as if he was studying a fine piece of art, or jewlery.

"But you _are_ real - aren't you boy?" Shen insisted. "This can't be a dream..."

"Pretty awkward if you were dreaming about me," Alf fired back, to mild chuckles from Po and the Five. "So yeah - I'd say this is real."

Shen waved his wolf soldiers down. The wolves shot each other quizzical looks but obeyed, lowering their weapons while keeping an intrigued stare at Alf. A good percentage even seemed somewhat frightened, or even disgusted.

"How much?" Shen gently began.

The Five, Po and Alf grew more confused. Alf in particular, started seething with rage. "I told you, I'm not an es - "

"Not talking to you," Shen genuinely vocalized, ignoring Alf while beginning to address Tigress. "How much for his _hands_?"

Alf now truly grew confused. He stepped back a bit, keeping his fighting stance intact. Tigress narrowed her eyes at Shen.

"No no no - _relics_ like this must be treated with _care_..." Shen spoke softly, again too - _appreciative_ in tone. "I'll buy the whole _thing_."

"He's _not_ for sale," Tigress rejected outright.

Shen fidgeted, as if he hadn't heard Tigress' answer. "Name your _price_."

"There _is_ no price you creepy _weirdo_ ," Monkey uttered with disgust. "There might be a _reward_ once we turn you, and your cannons into the Grandmasters' Council - but that'll go to _us_."

Shen watched Alf with an immense sigh, seemingly disappointed by the masters' insistence that Alf was in fact, a real person and not an item or good for sale - the peacock hummed a few sorry tunes before pursing his mouth, staring at the Five, Po, and Alf of course with a demented stare.

"Funny, I would have let you all _live_ if you had _just_ played by the _rules_ ," Shen started. "Well if you can't buy something - you can always _steal_ it."

And it all started.

 _THWANG._

 _THWIP._

 _CRACK._

 _BASH._

A flurry of noises. Arrows sizzled through the air. Metal swiped through the space in front of them.

It had begun.

The wolf soldiers quickly encircled the Five, Po and Alf - making escape an impossibility for the moment. They lunged forward with iron bats, clubs, and spears - a few carried blades and more armored weapons. Most notably, Po was having difficulty eluding these many at one time - these were Shen's personal guard, so the wolves were about a head taller than usual, heavily muscled, heavily armored, and extremely skilled. Still, the masterful training of the Jade Palace was enough.

To handle one.

But that wasn't the case.

The issue was the wolves' coordination more than anything else. Every time a soldier would lunge his spear forward, one of the Five could deflect it - but in the same second, another soldier swang his silver blade down in the same direction. It was like fighting a giant combatant who had four skillsets, four different move combinations, and four different bodies. The wolves didn't tire, and each time Po or the Five would smack them across the face - another would merely their his brethren's place, diving forward in feral accuracy.

Tigress leaped over two nearby wolves, frustrated with the stalemate. She acted a bit sacrificially, allowing one wolf to pierce her in the shoulder with a spear so she could grab the rest of him - oscillating and chucking him around against the other wolves. This cleared the crowd significantly, as the ten or so eager "front line" of wolves surrounding the Five and Alf were knocked backwards. She promptly threw him into the large black cannon, splintering it in two.

But Tigress' next moment came out of pure shock, as Po was nowhere to be found.

He was twenty feet away, staring at Shen alone against the back wall of the Throne Room. The Soothsayer lay on the floor nearby, blood oozing from her right ear.

"You - you - you know what happened to my parents," Po recalled, memories intrusively barging through his emotions again. "You - you did something..."

 _A night, dark as dark could be._

 _A female panda._

 _Crying._

 _A wolf._

 _Spear._

 _More crying._

 _The tattoo._

"Oh I didn't _kill_ them," the peacock proclaimed. "The _Seekers_ did."

"Bullshit," Po breathed, voice and mind slowly losing their grip on reality. "They - "

"Ask your friend," Shen smoothly delivered. "Ask who _killed_ the pandas."

Po started hyperventilating. He wasn't exactly sure what he was experiencing - much of it seemed to be pure grief, a lot more seemed to be reactionary to the things that had been bothering him over the last month - feelings, instances, effervescent glimpses of reality that just tore his mind apart. Compounding the issue was the random tattoos painted all around him - it was driving him absolutely insane.

"You're - you're lying," Po let out slowly, unsure of himself in a completely illogical manner. "You're just trying to - "

"They sent flaming _metal_ at them," Shen smiled, eyebrows furrowing. "I watched two big ones _rip_ your parents apart - bone by bone."

Po gasped, shuddering.

Tigress yelled, trying to warn him.

But it was too late.

Shen brought out the trademark blade. It slashed forward.

A streak of blood came gushing from Po's neck.

"NOOOOOOO!"

 _WHAM._

Shen's blade - as well as the rest of him - surged behind Po as a fully enraged Alf - who had managed to escape the rest of the wolves - collided and dragged the peacock nearly thirty feet away, to the other far corner of the Throne Room. The Five kept a strong fight against the surrounding wolves, dodging swinging axes, hammers, and even an occasional bite. None of the twenty soldiers were tiring anytime soon.

"You really think _Po_ would believe a _scumbag_ like you?" Alf breathed out harshly, pressing his forearm against the peacock's neck. "You're coming with us. This ends now. You're no match for our kung fu."

"I agree," Shen fully slithered. "But _this_ is."

Alf turned around, seeing another batallion of twenty wolves make their way up the stairs leading to the Throne Room. The Five - already encumbered by guarding a rapidly bleeding Po - felt doubly anxious as now each master had to duel with eight potential soldiers. The amount of chaos was near impossible to avoid harmlessly - Viper and Mantis had already been stabbed twice, and Crane and Monkey had been bludgeoned numerous times, the avian sporting a brusied head. Tigress fared the worst of all - deliberately separating herself from the rest of the Five so that she attracted more soldiers - fighting almost sixteen on her own.

She was already bleeding from multiple places.

"The Jade Palace is strong," Shen noted. "But not _that_ strong."

Alf gulped, wondering whether he should continue pinning Shen or move to help the rest of the Five and Po.

"Also," Shen interrupted again, breaking Alf's grip on him. "I have _this_."

Alf saw something that almost made him do a double take.

A button.

In Shen's grasp.

Not red.

But green.

The peacock pressed.

"AUGH!" Alf roared.

He bit down hard, nearly crushing his own mouth.

This wasn't a shock.

It was fire.

Vicious.

Relentless.

Heat.

Alf's body twitched convulsively on the marble flooring. Below him, he could hear several bursts go off - almost like cannons firing, or exploding, or something - a few floors below him. The sensation wasn't just far more painful than the shocks he had grown accustomed to - it was mind-numbing. The pain was arresting, and the scent of burned flesh began to go through the room. Alf felt red, moist liquid drip down his neck and onto his desperately grasping fingers - he knew only a few more seconds would instantly kill him.

"I knew there was a reason this _thing_ was outside the Seeker ship!" Shen admired the button, watching Alf seize on the floor amidst the chaos of wolves, the Five, and Po fighting a bit away. "Side effects may include any cannons in proximity going off - but the upside? _Seekers with collars_ get _disciplined_."

Alf had no idea what any of this meant, except for somehow understanding that the cannons were being activated by the button.

The pain took a few more seconds to completely destroy him.

He blacked out.

Tigress was smashed back by four large wolves, collapsing into a nearby weapon rack. The sustained cuts and bruises severely stifled her movement, forcing her to lean on one knee and bash a few wolves back. One eye half closed from the swelling, she took a look behind her.

Shen - aided by a few wolves - hoisted Alf over the wolves' collective shoulders, as the small team departed rapidly from the rest of the group. They made their way down the staircase leading out of the Throne Room.

Tigress growled, forcing herself forward.

"TIGRESS!" Mantis screamed, being nearly crushed by four soldiers' feets. "WE HAVE TO GO!"

"THEY'RE TAKING ALF!" Tigress yelled back. "WE NEED TO - "

"NO TIME!" Viper roared back, being thrown into the high ceiling before collapsing back to the hard ground. "UGH! TIGRESS PLEASE!"

Tigress looked around, watching the true chaos unfold. The rest of the Five were barely holding on - having taken out a sizable number of wolves - but there was still twenty five or so left, apparently tireless from the battle. Po, bleeding even more now and nearly unconscious, was thankfully still kept safe by the rest of the masters - but axes and bludgeons started to make their mark against the Five. Moreover, the entire Tower felt like it was shifting - Tigress had heard some explosion earlier, which she guessed to have come from the cannon room...

...everything was going nowhere.

"WE HAVE TO RUN!" Monkey yelled, running to pull Tigress away. "WE HAVE TO GO!"

Tigress was too injured to properly resist. The golden monkey pulled her slightly aways from the rest of the battling wolf soldiers. The rest of the Five - uniforms injured, bleeding, and rapidly fading under stress - barely carried Po along, and hurried down the rapidly collapsing staircase. The cannon explosions were bringing the whole place down.

"We have to get him," Tigress moaned, leaning heavily on Monkey's shoulder as he struggled to drag them both down the staircase fast enough to avoid the pursuing wolves. "We have to - we have to - "

"Tigress we gotta make it out of here alive first!" Mantis yelled, his small size allowing him to dart a bit faster than the others, leading the path down.

 _BOOM._

"AUGH!"

"DAMN!"

"MY WING!"

Tigress stopped - or was rather thrown off Monkey's shoulder - as the path leading down the stairs became blocked by an immense, flaming block of the Tower. She jumped forwards, noting Crane's hobbled over position and clutching a broken wing. She also noticed Mantis and Viper, the only ones still standing admist the rapidly falling debris around them. Po was nearly unmoving, leaning against a deteriorating pillar while Monkey and Crane tried to keep him close. Fire was enveloping them at all sides, they were at the middle of the stairs - and now the wolves (suicidal apparently) forced them closer to the edges of the flaming inferno.

"We have to jump," Tigress weakly wheezed, eye swelling more now.

"We don't know how high up we are!" Mantis breathed, shifting his stare from the wolves, the blocked stairway, and the fire enveloping them.

"We might break our damn necks!" Monkey squealed.

Tigress shook her head, bleeding enough to drench her vest a bit. "No - no choice..."

As usual, she had to lead.

Tigress sideswiped to the right, knocking back an overzealous wolf as she dove out the nearest window.

Several sensations hit her at once.

Musty cool darkness. Bright moonlight. Gongmen City - miraculously still shining off in the distance, away from the Palace. Chilled air.

Several more shattering noises, as the rest of the Five followed suit - practically dragging Po's half-conscious body alongside them.

Then she looked down.

At least a hundred feet of nothing. Then rocky ground.

This would hurt. The descent started.

She calmed herself, readying for the pain - training already kicking in. She had to land on her arms - sacrificing those limbs would be much better for running than sacrificing her legs. Tigress make a split-second choice, deciding to sacrifice the left arm - already bleeding and practically broken already - in order to save the rest. She rotated appropriately, sticking out the sacrificial limb in an awkward, jutted out position. This actually would arrest most of the descending force - in exchanging for delivering the most hellish pain imaginable.

She took just a second to observe the rest of the Five balance Po above them - sparing him - but sticking out their sacrificial limbs.

Tigress looked down again. Just twenty feet of air.

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth.

A few more seconds.

 _CRACK._

 _CRICK._

 _THUNK._

 _DRICK._

 _RIP._

Tigress roared more powerfully than she ever had before. She was face down into the ground, clutching what remained of her left arm in agony - bleeding severely, broken and contorted past recognition, and overall ready to just lay there forever.

She shoved herself to her feet, training again forcing her forwards. She witnessed the rest of the Five do the same - clutching what remained of their limbs in fear and pain. Viper was howling loudly, while Mantis could not avoid trying to keep her silent by covering her mouth. Blood pools - especially from Po's head - were beginning to form.

Tigress looked back, ignoring the musty dark moonlight - watching the rest of the Tower collapse in view behind her. Even now, ten or so wolves had managed to make it to the Courtyard - already in hot pursuit of the Five and Po.

She shivered, thinking where Alf may be.

"We - we need to get him," Tigress repeated thoughtlessly, still struck by the image of Shen and some wolves carrying Alf away. "We - we need to find him..."

"We can outrun them," Monkey gasped, dragging his broken tail behind him with a blood spit. "We have to. Tigress! There's no time!"

Tigress took a last second to scan the environment - ignoring the wolves, the moonlight, Po's unconscious body dragged along by the Five, the rapidly collapsing Tower, the Courtyard - just some sign where Alf was. Where Shen was.

Neither the peacock nor the Seeker appeared within vision.

Tigress cleared her throat, electing to do the one thing she knew was certain - her training.

She sprinted away.

 **. . .**

The actual chaos died down pretty rapidly.

Predictably, the Tower of "Insert Adjective" Flame was destroyed. Debris and bits of dust littered the grand Courtyard, staining the massive floors and furiously closed gates bordering the former Palace. The entire space had displaced so much dust and smoke that a thick blanket of the stuff created a mini-atmosphere surrounding the entire area. Cracked stone floors lay ominously below a large stretch of broken metal, wood, and cinder - all melded into a gigantic pile of garbage that the former Palace had been reduced to.

The former combatants had long since gone - Shen's wolf soldiers had since realized they had no hope of catching the injured but speedier masters. The peacock himself had shown up at the end of the chaos and fighting, announcing to a newly engaged wolf army to scatter across Gongmen - to hunt down the remaining Jade Palace masters. The peacock then departed with a private wolf escort - taking the unconscious Seeker along with him.

Zhong had heard all of this.

While having his leg crushed underneath a massive pillar.

"Ergh - by the Scrolls - AHHH!"

Zhong yelped in pain, only allowing the heavy pillar to descend more on his right knee. He was certain the joint was crushed, and to make matters worse the rest of him was pinned down underneath even more debris. A small slit of light about five inches above his eyeline was the only solace - but he had been screaming for help for about five minutes now.

No one had come.

"Come on, come on, come on…" Zhong tried, desperately trying to free at least one of his limbs.

He was mostly angry with himself. As soon as Tigress had obviously knocked him out - then apparently thrown him and two dumb soldiers out of the Palace - Zhong completely blacked out.

And now when he came to - the Palace was suddenly destroyed, Shen and the wolves, the Five and the panda were gone - and now he had just overheard Shen five minutes ago talking about a captured Seeker?

What the hell had gone on since he blacked out?

"HELP!" Zhong roared again.

"For such a stoic soldier," came a smooth, old voice. "You're strangely _kind_ when facing _death_."

Zhong growled, recognizing the tone instantly. "Soothsayer…"

The old goat - horns chipped and face bleeding from the aged cheekbones - popped into the small slit of light.

"He - help me," Zhong muttered. "Please…"

The old goat merely flashed a smile back. "Of course, death brings out everyone's _kindest_ impulses…"

Zhong growled, expecting another time-wasting metaphor - but this Soothsayer was not like Oogway. The goat merely flashed another grin before lifting the heavy rubble off of Zhong's pinned arm. This helped the process considerably - Zhong used the free arm to bash and break the boulder pinning down the left arm, while the Soothsayer lifted a large cannon piece shoved against Zhong's uninjured leg. As this was being done, bigger and more voluminous streaks of sunlight started flying past Zhong's vision - Gongmen's sky seemed to be drenched in putrid brown smoke.

He really _had_ missed out on a lot.

"This last part is gonna hurt," Zhong groaned, moving both paws sadly to the large debris resting on the broken knee. "You ready? One - two - AUGH!"

The Soothsayer had already kicked the debris roughly, allowing it to casually scrape off Zhong's shattered knee.

The Boss Wolf pulled himself out of the massive pile, feeling warm sunlight bathe his fur - as well as the smell of dust as the ruins of the Palace surrounded him. He immediately somersaulted forward, eyeing the Soothsayer dangerously.

"What was _that_ for?!" Zhong bit, annoyed while putting all his weight on his good knee. "You nearly - "

"The path won't get easier, the more you wait," the old goat smiled, stopping her bleeding with a ragged cloth.

Zhong sighed, watching around him. There were absolutely none of his wolves, Shen, the alleged "Seeker", the Five or the panda - nor really anything else. He still had little idea what happened - but from educated guesses, it seemed like a massive brawl had brought the tower and the cannons down. Zhong knew of two places where Shen might be now - the Seeker ship, or by the largest factory outside of Gongmen still producing cannons and resourcing metal.

He growled, applying a makeshift bandage around the injured knee before hobbling towards the nearly destroyed gates about five hundred feet away in the distance.

"So _that_ 's the path you're choosing," the Soothsayer called out behind Zhong. "Complacency."

"I ain't smart enough to understand that dumb shit," Zhong spat, cracking his neck while continuing the march forward.

"Rejoin your childhood friend and resume the killing, the stealing, and the lying," the old goat sarcastically quipped, trying to follow the wolf. "That is - _if_ he takes you back… considering you failed to kill a simple, baby panda."

Zhong rapidly spun around, paw instinctually reaching for the crossbow magically still attached to his back. "Killing a _lot_ of people let's you see through people's bullshit a _lot_ easier. Stop trying to screw with my head."

"I'm trying to show you something different," the goat whispered back.

"What the hell is that?" Zhong irritatedly snapped back.

"A different path."

With that, the old goat merely walked away - leaving a highly annoyed Zhong in her wake.

 **. . .**

 _..._

 _Blood._

 _Raw blood._

 _The stench of rotting flesh._

 _Fear._

 _The dark, shadowy figure approached._

 _Pieces of sky came crashing down._

 _The world felt over._

 _Ending._

 _He dove to his right, but it caught him again._

 _Yet he didn't resist this time._

" _I told you," the voice forced. "It was inevitable."_

 _He remained silent._

 _He surrendered to the void._

" _Inevitable," he repeated._

 _The voice crushed him into despair._

…

"WAKEY WAKEY!"

Alf shot up, feeling his limbs suddenly feel restricted. The hazy feelings and burning sensations around his neck were gone, but there was this inescapable sense of fear permeating his mind.

His black garment - the top - was gone. A cold breeze brushed past the open skin.

His arms and legs were tied down.

He oscillated his head forward, trying to gauge where he was.

A massive cave. An enormous metal container - or box - or perhaps ship - loomed in a quick distance away. He felt alone - submissive, powerless.

Exposed.

Alf struggled hard, feeling cold metal press and provide structure to his back. He was strapped to some kind of makeshift table.

A peacock came into view. No one else.

"So many questions," Shen smoothly declared. "So many experiments. So - much - _time_."

Shen brought out a silver blade, running it slowly across Alf's bare chest. The blade sliced through the skin effortlessly.

Alf screamed, but was silenced as the peacock's feathers came close to the button.

The green button.

Alf saw it.

He shut his mouth immediately.

Shen smiled. "Good… results of first experiment: Seekers respond to obedience training…"

Alf's eyes twinkled with moisture. He forced his mouth shut, watching the blade begin the slice once more.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yes I posted late again... yes I know this means I have to post by this Friday as compensation... forgive me maybe :p Jk, srry guys I'll def. try to be more consistent in the future._

 _A few things:_

 _0\. I know I've said this before, but as this series goes on - the plot continually diverges and complicates. So - worthwhile to keep track of stuff (I have to, lol)_

 _1\. The Five, Po (and Alf, I guess) can't consistently keep plowing through all the baddies. These wolves are trained, but dumb - but still, the best of Shen's guard. And they outnumber them four to one, and then eight to one! I wanted to keep it realistic... and I wanted to show very concisely that they indeed - LOST this battle. Yes, the Jade Palace isn't perfect, Po's mistakes were understandable but ultimately cost them the victory (and Alf's capture), and yes - this'll affect the rest of KFP 2._

 _2\. Zhong and the Soothsayer - well, all I'm saying is that they're worth caring about/paying attention to...;)_

 _3\. I had a random insight about fight scenes which I felt like sharing: feel free to read if you want, or just skip the next part. (HEAVY DISCRETION: THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE, NOT THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH OBVIOUSLY)_

 _I, like many FF net writers perhaps, find it difficult to write fight scenes. They're dynamic, you want to describe what's going on accurately (but not word vomit), you want to make it feel different, etc. etc etc..._

 _But what I found that is that instead of describing specifics like "the blade whooshed as he front kicked the enemy..." - try to write it like any other part of your story! Just try it! Like describe how enemies flooded the main gates, punches and kickes were thrown, etc etc etc. Try not to worry about active vs passive voice - when you're writing fiction, write to accomplish the effect you want to achieve - don't worry about structure, syntax, or etc so much..._

 _Idk, and again - I don't know if my "descriptive" rather than "specific" writing style for fights is better - or even noticed by readers (lol) - but it personally relaxes a lot of the tension I have when writing fight scenes._

 _So basically - IDK. Use at your own discretion. I personally use a hybrid of both descriptive and specific._

 _Support - idk. The best._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Again, go see my fake review. It's hilarious. I think._


	28. KFP 2:11

" **One of Many Paths"**

* * *

 **A/N : **_WARNING, 7K WORD CHAPTER. ENJOY BUT TAKE IT SLOW..._

* * *

"WAIT - HOLD ON!"

"The path we must take - the path we shall never infiltrate - "

"WOULD YOU JUST FREAKIN' SLOW DOWN YOU OLD BIT - "

"Minds wander - thoughts ponder - hearts are beyonder…"

"STOP!"

Zhong roughly yanked the Soothsayer's arm back, satisfied to see her wince in pain. She groaned, staring into the sky with a primal discomfort. The goat turned back at last, happy to observe Zhong having followed all the way outside the destroyed Palace Courtyard - all the way into an abandoned section of Gongmen, still "technically" under construction (read: metal pillaging from Shen's wolf forces)... but the arrival of the Jade Palace masters meant that the wolf soldiers formerly servicing this section of the city had left their posts in fresh pursuit of the "panda" and his team of "imbeciles".

Rotting posts, old houses, and decaying rooftops stretched far - bordered by the broken Palace Courtyard behind them. A thick cloud of residue smoke - from the Palace's destruction - hung over the low rooftops. Bright moonlight washed over the small space, or town. If Zhong and the Soothsayer were to continue onward, they'd find the exits of Gongmen's city gates straight ahead.

"What do you mean, a _different_ path?" Zhong queried.

"You tell me," the old goat smiled back.

The Boss Wolf snarled, unsheathing his claws. "I follow you all this way - you don't say anything but mystical mumbo jumbo…"

"Correct, you _followed_ me _all_ this way," the Soothsayer noted. "Seems like you're already on a _path_."

Zhong's instinctive emotion was to choke the living daylights out of the goat.

Then she smiled.

Zhong awkwardly grinned.

"You stupid _bitch_ ," Zhong muttered, smiling. "Stupid little sayings and stupid little words…"

"Us mystically stupid _bitches_ have to stay mystical," the Soothsayer noted with a small smile. "Admit it - that line made you laugh."

"It made me _cringe_ ," Zhong replied, smiling beside himself. "Alright - farewell old goat. Thanks for the chuckle. I'm off…"

"Where?"

Zhong paused, turning back to the Soothsayer. "What?"

"You heard me, where are you off to?" the old goat replied. "What _path_ do you plan on taking?"

Zhong grew again frustrated, scrunching his brow while he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I don't know."

"There it is!" the old goat responded gleefully, chipped horns wiggling. "There it is…"

Zhong sighed, watching her approach him. "What?"

"How long have you _not_ known what to do?" the Soothsayer annoyingly queried, peering up at the taller wolf. "How long has your path been about following Shen?"

Zhong grunted. "All of my life."

"What changed now?" the Soothsayer forced, squinting while lowering her voice. "What made you lose your path?"

" _Nothing_!" Zhong spat. "I - I - I've been lost for some time now…"

Zhong suddenly stared at the old goat. He narrowed his eyes at her, coughing out some dust getting into his system.

"Oh," Zhong noted. " _That's_ what you meant… "

The old goat smiled, watching the Boss Wolf pace back and forth. It pleased her that despite Zhong's natural anger and frustration - he was consciously preventing himself from hurting or screaming at her. Instead, he rapidly turned his gait and walked in circles, bashing his paws against her head in anger and mostly - confusion.

"Zhong, you're smarter than you let on," the old goat whispered. "I can't promise that changing what you've been doing your entire life - killing, stealing, the crimes - will get you to _know_ what your path is…"

Zhong kept an avid stare at the goat.

"... but I can promise that you will have tried," the Soothsayer noted. "... that it wasn't all for nothing."

Zhong blinked. Some part of him was yearning - perhaps even desperate for - something different. He didn't know what it was - he didn't know what it could mean, but he knew a change was needed.

"If you want, you can follow me," the Soothsayer noted, turning away to make her way down the street leading to Gongmen's exit.

"Where are you going?" Zhong called out.

"Away from here," the goat simply replied, beard just whisking in the light breeze.

For some reason, that was enough for Zhong. The Boss Wolf began an awkward pace forward - but stopped himself.

He removed the crossbow from his back.

He stared at the blood-rusted hinges and moist arrow tips - face completely implacable. A surging rush of memories flew past him - some painful, some enjoyable, but mostly just numbed.

Long since buried.

He would unbury it all later.

"What are you doing?" the old goat called out, surprised to see him stop in the middle of the town.

"Leaving," Zhong simply replied.

The Soothsayer smiled genuinely for the first time, feeling the pain of Shen's changing personalities finally leave her.

Now there was hope - but not in the peacock - but in something else.

Someone else.

"Now you're getting it," the Soothsayer noted, walking to the gates.

Zhong threw the crossbow down, not even waiting for it to hit the dusty ground.

He made his way alongside the Soothsayer. There was this incredible feeling of confusion that still plagued him - and in fact, he was still a tiny bit angry with what the Soothsayer was saying - or at least tantalizingly hinting at. He knew a life back with Shen would be comforting - sure he might be angry for failing to kill the panda - Po - for so long, but he would ultimately take him back. Then Zhong could start again the life - the follower's life. But there was something else that the goat was offering - something abstract yet not vague, concrete but not specific - it was something.

Something different.

"Was there some Seeker running around when I was blacked out?" Zhong interrupted. "Please tell me that's a joke."

The goat sighed. "Don't even get me _started_ on that nonsense."

 **. . .**

The docks looked surprisingly peaceful at night time.

Moonlight - something that had perhaps become the staple for Gongmen's recent atmosphere - wafted down and illuminated half of the sea that surrounded Gongmen. Crystalline blue waves crashed and floated above on another, splashing against a series of wooden platforms and posts that highlighted the beginning of the Gongmen docks. Without its regular wolf soldier presence, the peaceful atmosphere was further interjected by the paucity of boats - just one boat stood alone, tied generously to the mast flying a bit beneath it.

In sharp contrast to the serenity, Five bleeding kung fu masters carried a just recently awakening panda through the narrow strip of wood leading to the sole boat.

"Wh - where - where are we?" Po slurred, head and neck bleeding profusely. "Are we - Shen - "

"Relax big guy," Mantis tried, ignoring his own broken limbs. "Try to ergh - just walk…"

"Tigress, what's the plan?" Monkey groaned. "Tigress?"

Viper followed behind, tapping the master gently on her torn knee garments. "Tigress, we need to think on what to do - we - "

Tigress wasn't paying attention. She merely marched forward ahead of the others, speed slow and mostly instinctive - she wasn't sure she would ever regain the ability to think logically considering how much had just went on.

"Yes, what is the _plan_?"

The Five masters stopped in mid-pace. Even Po - head drooping from all the sustained injuries - shockingly looked forward.

A small red panda - sporting his trademark green vest and ancient staff - gently walked forward. He was closely flanked by a reluctant fox, who bowed her head in shame.

"Master - Master Shifu," Tigress moaned, breathing heavily. "I - we - "

"Silence," Shifu noted, taking a look at his students more properly. "Let me take an educated guess, shall I?"

The Five masters and Po were far too shocked to respond, since they were still adjusting to the fact that Shifu rapidly appeared. Worsening matters was Yu's guilty expressions behind him, which made Tigress question what she had told him.

"You fools tried something to capture Shen," Shifu delivered perfectly. "It didn't work. And from the state of things…"

Shifu eyed all the bleeding places on his students' bodies, fixating particularly on Po's head and neck slashes - along with Tigress' shattered arm, not even bandaged yet.

"... Shen and his men, appropriately _punished_ you for such poor foresight," Shifu finished. "That seem about right?"

"We had a good plan," Mantis filled in, earning a dangerous glare from Shifu.

"We were going to dupe Shen into - " Crane started.

"Quiet," Shifu again ordered, watching his five students and Po bow their heads. "The important part is that you did something _recklessly_ and it didn't work. _That's_ the lesson."

Tigress kept silent during all of this. She was utterly confused why no one had singled her out, had pointed it all out - instead, her fellow masters and Po merely kept their gaze downward, clutching their injured and mangled limbs and bodies.

"Where is the Seeker?" Shifu asked. "Tell him to stop hiding. No witnesses here…"

The Five and Po - if possible - forced their heads down even more. They were practically as still as statues by now. Even Yu was growing interested - the fox walked forward, gasping quickly as she realized the full extent of everyone's injuries.

"Boy!" Shifu called out. "Enough of the games! I need to punish you for many insolences…"

Yu saw Shifu pull out the red button, privately feeling disgusted again.

"BOY!"

"He was captured," Tigress let out, practically feeling the shocked stares of the other masters and Po. "Shen and his wolves took him. We - we couldn't get him back in - "

She paused, feeling her throat seize up. It was true that she had been injured, it was true that going for Alf probably meant a long list of other injured body parts - but she had felt the opportunity. If it weren't for Monkey - Tigress might have done it.

She _must_ have.

She was so close.

"Excuse me?" Shifu noted, walking back closer to Tigress to pounce on his staff to meet her at eye level. "What did you say?"

The voice was so dangerous, so malevolent, that it reminded Tigress of the early days when he used to train her - before Po, before the Five even existed, before the Dragon Scroll - when a single wrong move would earn her the beating of a lifetime.

Yet Tigress' guilt wouldn't let her rest. The rest of the Five, Po, and even Yu looked at her as if she was a fool.

"He was captured," Tigress restated, feeling the throat grumble. "Shen did something to his collar…"

"He - he unmasked himself," Po called out, feeling bad for how much punishment Tigress was soldiering through alone. "He - he did it to save me…"

Shifu's face and body language were completely still. Po wasn't sure whether to talk, or stop talking - both seemed to result in awkward tension.

"He was able to save Po from having his neck sliced open," Tigress continued. "But once he - "

"What you're saying is that," Shifu interrupted, voice completely emotionless and cold. "The Seeker was unmasked, and captured by Shen. How many witnesses?"

Tigress gulped, eye swelling more. "Over twenty - or more. He - Alf isn't a secret anymore."

Yu startled, fear gripping her. There were so many things she was starting to regret.

Not speaking to him before.

Not caring what other people thought.

Not kissing him.

She had wasted so much time.

He never even got one clue how she felt about him.

All the time she was waiting - searching for perhaps the right moment. There were some opportunities, some places - where if she had the courage, she could have said something. She could have just grabbed him and shoved her lips against his, she could have spoken to him, Yu could have done anything to let him know - yet she had chose cowardice again, just like she always had. She had chosen the path of least resistance, of eternally assuming he would eventually notice her interest - and now there was no chance, no way for her to even relate how much he meant to her.

She loved him.

She cringed. She didn't even have the courage to say it.

Just like with her parents.

More memories. She shut them down.

On the other hand, Shifu took a pause of a few seconds. None of the rest of the Five nor Po knew what it meant, but fear shot through Tigress immediately.

 _WHIP._

 _CRACK._

 _BAM._

 _BOOSH._

 _BAM._

Shifu's hand flew back and forth - slapping Tigress savagely across the face, five times consecutively. Every other new slap opened up a scar, intensifying the bleeding. The rest of the Five and Po watched in horror.

"You _continue_ to disappoint me," Shifu spat, getting close enough to Tigress' face. "I thought after the Dragon Scroll - there could be no _way_ you could continue to fail me, but after all - "

 _CRACK._

"You really are - "

 _BAM._

"... a failure…"

 _SNAP._

"... of… "

 _BASH._

"... the highest…"

 _CRACK._

"... _order_."

Tigress' head spun like a swivel, not even daring to look up as Shifu kept up the slaps. He was adding fresh bruises to her face now. A small stream of moisture ran down Tigress' face - this was more distressing than anything.

Shifu raised his hand again.

"Enough!" Po protested, shambling his way over to Shifu and Tigress - breaking away from the scared grips of the rest of the Five. "Shifu come on dude - "

 _CRACK._

Tigress sniffled pathetically, gritting her teeth. Po felt a mild surge of anger arise. He tried to shove Shifu away - but only managed to lift his arms a bit due to the extent of his injuries.

 _BAM._

"I'm _disciplining_ my student," Shifu growled. "Stay away, panda."

"She doesn't _deserve_ this," Po groaned, trying to lift his arms to protect her. "Look at her! And you just start bea - "

"Po," Tigress tried, voice softer than any time he had ever heard it. "Po please…"

Po's lips quivered. The softness in her tone wasn't gentle or kind - it felt mutilated, hurt, even pathetic - it was so obviously borne out of pain that Po wanted nothing more to wrap his arms around her. Yu came up from behind, trying to tug him away. The rest of the Five watched in silence - or rather bowed their heads.

 _SMASH._

The last one caused a section of Tigress' white cheek to turn purple.

"She's your daughter!" Po forced desperately, shocked to see Tigress take this in submissive silence.

Shifu jutted Tigress' head up, sneering at the tears resiliently flowing down her cheekbones.

"What do you think, _leader_ of the Furious Five?" Shifu spat, whiskers coiled up. "Have you led? Would you call yourself my daughter, right this moment?"

Tigress' mouth quivered, eyes closed.

 _BASH._

"ANSWER ME!" Shifu screamed.

"N - No…" Tigress faintly whispered. The softness - or rather, the complete shock in the tone - greatly upsetted Po.

 _WHIP._

Shifu slapped Tigress a final time, watching her head droop down as fresh tears fell to the wooden floor - staining them.

"Listen to me," Shifu now addressed to everyone, focusing on the rest of the Five and Po - perhaps even Yu. "Because of your incompetence, the Jade Palace is now in a very, very precarious situation… one that I might add, I deliberately abstained from preventing - just so you would learn this _lesson_."

"But Alf - " Po started.

"SILENCE PANDA!"

Po fell quiet at once.

"We have a Seeker in the hands of Shen, who's been exposed as being tied to the Jade Palace," Shifu bluntly stated. "I assume at the very least, you've found out where he's making his cannons."

Po saw Tigress's paw weakly shift to her waistband. He decided to act quickly, taking a small scroll out of her waistband to avoid having her be the center of attention again. The rest of the Five and Yu seemed puzzled by it.

"Noitacol," Po started. "Red, blue, yellow, dragon, peacock, four. Burn this message after reading it - Zhong, commander in charge."

"Wait what the hell?" Crane suddenly burst in. "So we _do_ know the cannons are! Awesome!"

Shifu let out a mild, completely half-hearted nod. He paced around with Oogway's staff behind him - a bit of frustration coming through. A chilled breeze cut through the moonlight, freshly irritating his whiskers.

"The first word means location," Shifu immediately deduced. "But the rest of it - hmm."

Shifu continued his pacing. Po took the opportunity to look at Tigress, who still had her face down and was bleeding yet mildly crying at the same time. Awkwardly, he gently gripped her injured elbow, squeezing slightly.

She turned her head slightly upwards, smiling. Po flashed a grin back, but quickly disassociated when Shifu turned up again.

"I think I have an idea," Yu broke in, interrupting for the first time in ten minutes - the Five, Po, and Shifu stared at her. "Gimme a sec…"

The fox gently reached into her own waistband, pulling out the scroll - the scroll that had revealed so many answers about the Yongshi, the scroll with so many questions - then predictably pressed her paws against the underside of the mountain logo.

"What is that?" Shifu spat, anger rising again.

"Later," Yu advised, waiting for the scroll's magic to start working. "We've been - contacting people."

" _We_?"

"Me and Alf," Yu forced, watching Shifu's face boil in red rage - but she knew the next words would arrest his anger.

 _ **Ask the question you seek,**_

 _ **Or be weak.**_

"What the hell?" Mantis let out, seeing the black ink shift crazily.

"What?" Monkey noted.

"Yu what _is_ that?" Crane forced.

Tigress dared to peer her head up - mouth going agape at the shifting ink.

"You two idiots have been talking with the _wrong_ people," Shifu growled. "Where - did - you - get - that - scroll?"

"Just gimme a second," Yu yearned. "Scroll - what does Noitacol - "

She didn't even finish her sentence, as the scroll's ink shifted in tune with her thoughts.

 _ **The cannon locations are truly queer,**_

 _ **So burn the message as Zhong says right here.**_

Yu gasped. The extent of the scroll's magic was bothering her - asking generic questions about the Yongshi (which she hadn't even briefed everyone on) seemed creepy enough, but now the scroll was mind-reading? How did it even know about the cannons?

What kind of magic was this?

"I think it wants us to burn the message," Yu tried.

"Fox," Shifu started dangerously, leaping atop the staff again. "You and the Seeker have _again_ proved your dishonesty by again going behind my back - and contacting Scrolls-know-who…"

The irony of this last phrase was lost on Shifu, but it was enough to make Mantis giggle too hard - then wince as his broken limb pain became more acute.

Yu ignored Shifu, prepared for the fallout later. "Scroll - if we burn the message - do we get to know the location of the cannons?"

The black ink transformed - almost angrily.

 _ **Do not question our judgements, fool.**_

 _ **It is the universe, we rule.**_

 _ **Burn it now, with gall.**_

 _ **Or watch China fall.**_

Yu huffed, scared. Partially it was because of how angry Shifu had been, but the fact was that overwhelming concern for Alf drove her to just get the Palace members moving and in pursuit of something instead of just standing here.

The fox brought out a piece of metal, striking it against a piece of gravel on the floor.

A spark emerged. She slashed it against the location scroll.

Several uneventful seconds.

The orange flame tore through the words.

"YOU BURNED THE SCROLL!" Mantis screamed.

"HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FIND THE LOCATION NOW!?" Viper surprisingly screamed.

"YOU'RE TAKING ORDERS FROM A TALKING MAGIC SCROLL NOW?!" Monkey roared in infuriation.

Yu waited some more, smile gently creeping on her face.

The falling ashes were moving.

Yu, Po, and the Five gathered around the burning ashes. Shifu managed to leap atop his staff once more, peering above the rest to focus on the burning papyrus. The ashes were dancing lightly, almost acting with a mind of their own.

They crystallized into shapes and letters.

A giant black arrow pointing away - in a very specific manner.

Letters ran beneath.

 _ **5000 Paces West.**_

 _ **1200 Paces Right.**_

 _ **Follow the Arrow.**_

 _ **Outside of Gongmen.**_

 _ **South Entrance.**_

"Well that's one _way_ to hide a secret area," Po guessed. "I suppose we were some idiots for believing the red green peacock bullshit was real…"

"Just a code, remember?" Crane deduced. "Shen's smarter than we think…"

"Not smart enough," Shifu noted immediately. "Everyone, focus on _me_ now."

Instantly the group reacted. Yu and Po stuck together, gathering at Shifu's back while the Five dragged their injured bodies to the front of Shifu's eyeline. Only Tigress was hesitant - her head was still drooped down, lightly sniffling. She joined the group last, and stayed well away from Shifu.

"Do not _think_ for a second that I am even remotely pleased with any of you," Shifu stressed, in particular flashing Tigress a filthy glance. "But the duty remains - we must decide now. Decide either to contain our security risk, or go after the cannons first."

"The security risk has a _name_ ," Yu spat, tears twinkling under stress. " _Alf_. Was _rescue Alf_ too hard for you to say?"

Shifu merely grunted in exasperation.

"And why the hell are we putting it up to a vote?" the fox urged, feeling confused. "We save Alf first - then we go after the cannons! Right?"

Yu was shocked to see some of the Five keep their heads down, not offering immediate reassurance.

"Think about it Yu," Mantis noted. "Shen's planning to destroy Gongmen eventually - he hates this city! Us arriving probably only pushed him further…"

"He's thinking about destroying the city," Crane noted. "We give him more than a few hours - he'll level the city and will have too many cannons at that point for us to stop him."

"We need to be logical," Shifu forced, baritone growl coming back. "Focusing on rescuing the Seeker will only allow Shen to begin destruction - and possibly become too powerful for us to stop his conquest."

"Screw logic!" Yu cut across, confusion giving way to paranoia. "He's a part of this team just like any of you! He - "

"He's already captured, and thus likely being tortured and releasing information on us, the Jade Palace, and possibly even what happened with Tai Lung!" Shifu bit. "Personally, I'd let him fend for himself - he was captured on his own accord."

Yu absolutely couldn't believe what she was hearing. What was more irritating was Po's lack of defense, Tigress' silence, and the rest of the Five merely listening without protest.

No one thought this was wrong?

"Alf would _never_ betray this group, despite how many times it's betrayed him," Yu growled with a snort. "Shen isn't interested in history - he wants _Alf_. The _Seeker_. You really think Alf'll be alive by the time we destroy the factory and get back?"

"Not my concern," Shifu casually slipped, further enraging Yu. "But as I said - we shall keep this fair. Vote."

Yu immediately raised up her paw, looking fiercely at everyone else. "I'm _not_ betraying my - _friend_."

She even cringed at using _that_ word. He was so much more.

Awkwardly, Monkey extended a paw up. "He's still a part of the Palace."

Even more reluctantly, Viper shot her head up. "We can't abandon family."

All eyes turned to the panda - who miraculously kept silent.

"Po put your paw up," Yu emphasized, tugging his arm. "Come on - we need to save Alf!"

Po shook his head gradually. "Shen - I don't know if this is real, but - he said the Seekers may have something to do with - with my mom and dad. With the pandas."

"I'm sure he said all kinds of bullshit Po!" Yu fought back. "But you know him! You know that - "

The fox sniffled, shocked that Po was not even reacting to her cries.

"The world hates him," Po reframed. "Shifu - us - everyone's felt some kinda weird way about Alf - maybe everyone's right. Maybe there is something dark and evil about the - "

"HE'S NOT JUST A SEEKER FOR SCROLL'S SAKE HE'S OUR FRIEND!" Yu roared, tears freshly bursting and running down her ragged garments. "HE'S _YOUR BEST FRIEND_! HE SAVED YOUR LIFE!"

Po's lips quivered, but he turned his head down resiliently. "I - I'm sorry. Until I know what really happened with the pandas - I - I can't trust anyone. Not - not even Alf."

"This whole _boo hoo my parents are dead thing_ is getting old Po!" Yu savagely fired back. "Everyone has some dark shit in their lives! Stop with the whining!"

Po growled, moving away in silence. Yu's shocked face said it all - this was going nowhere. She scanned the surrounding docks and the circle of warriors again - Monkey, Viper, and her were in agreement, as Shifu and the rest of the Five (and apparently Po) looked on. But they needed more… at least one more for a tie, two more for a decisive victory…

Until another paw came up.

Mangled. Bloody. Broken.

Orange and white.

Tigress.

Shifu again paced over, leaping atop his staff to deliver a searing slap across her face yet again.

 _WHAP._

"Shifu relax dude!" Po squealed, covering Tigress with his body - watching her whimper softly against his shoulder.

"STAY OUT OF THIS PANDA!" Shifu screamed, full attention on Tigress' downcast head. "AFTER ALL THIS LECTURING - YOU STILL CHOOSE TO DISOBEY ME!?"

Po tried to stop it with a mangled paw, but it was too late - Shifu's paw bludgeoned Tigress' purple cheek fur.

 _WHIP._

Po's injuries - specifically the head and neck slashes - were making him drowsy. Blood loss was shocking everyone.

"Put your paw down, stupid girl," Shifu grunted.

Tigress' head remained down, fresh tears falling down.

But the paw was still up.

 _CRACK._

"I said…"

 _WHIP._

"Put…"

 _SNAP._

"Your paw…"

 _WHUMP._

"Down…"

Tigress' head was bruised so badly that fresh splotches of purple fur began spreading. Her face was fresh, tear-driven with moisture, Po had wrapped his good arm around her frame and held her tightly…

… yet the paw was still up.

Po wiped a few tears out of Tigress' eyes. He wasn't concerned about talking through it, he just wanted Tigress to remain stable.

She stuck her head a bit up, orange eyes flashing him something.

The same _something_ he felt back at the ship journey.

He quelled the feeling. Now was not the time.

Tigress seemed to understand this as well.

" _Daughter_? You aren't even fit to be my _water girl_ …" Shifu spat hurtfully, then turned to the rest of the group. "Fine! Four votes for saving our idiotic guest… all against?"

As predicted, Po's, Crane's, Mantis', and Shifu's paws and limbs shot upwards. Again, the inclusion of Po's paw enraged Yu - she wanted nothing more than to go beat the absolute daylights out of him.

But at least - it was four versus four.

"Right, we're going to go destroy the Factory first," Shifu commanded.

"Wait what?!" Yu let out immediately. "What happened to four versus four!? That's a tie!"

"Seniority," Shifu concluded. "In a tie, I might as well break it with my own opinion…"

"Since when was that a rule?!" Yu forced.

"SINCE NOW!" Shifu again yelled. "YOU'RE LUCKY I'M EVEN LETTING A FOOD DELIVERY GIRL VOTE! KEEP QUIET!"

Yu tried to say something more, but Tigress quieted her with a gentle paw grip. The fox was surprised at how gentle, how submissive it was - it wasn't Master Tigress gripping her, it was a heartbroken daughter.

"Crane, Mantis - heal each other's and everyone's injuries as much as you can," Shifu ripped straightforward. "We move out soon."

None of the Five protested. Po didn't even bother arguing. Slowly Crane and Mantis got to work - all of them ignorant of the fox that had departed the group, moving forward into Gongmen City in pursuit of her own goals. She wasn't thinking about the fact that Shifu knew about the magical scroll, was suspicious about her and Alf's "extracurricular" activities, or that the Factory might be dangerous. She wasn't even thinking about the idea that none of them knew where Alf was being held - or if he was even alive.

She only cared about _him_.

"She's gonna try to save Alf alone," Po noted, watching her walk underneath the three archways that lead into the ciity. "We don't even know where he is…"

"Leave her," Shifu continued. "With any luck, two of our unwelcome Palace guests will be gone in one move."

Po merely kept quiet, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the sentiment.

 **. . .**

"AGHH!"

Then nothing.

A few moments of silence.

His eyes crusted open again.

"ARGH! PLEASE!"

"Keep quiet, boy."

 _CRACK._

 _SKRIT._

 _SLASH._

"ARGH!"

Nothing again. Alf wasn't sure how many times this had happened - how many times he had lost consciousness due to to the pain of what was happening. Over the past few hours, he had somewhat understood his situation.

He was strapped to a metal table - arms and legs pinned down. He was definitely in some sort of cave - a massive, sprawling rock metropolis completely vacant of life except for the peacock in front of him. Awkwardly, there was an equally massive metal ship standing in the center of the huge cave - but Alf was too far and too restricted in movement to see it properly. His loose top garment had been torn off, leaving his chest and stomach completely bare.

It wasn't bare, actually. Over the past few hours, Shen had prided himself on defacing every inch of Alf's exposed torso - using a variety of instruments to his advantage.

The knife cut the most deep wounds. The metal cleaver had certainly crushed a few ribs. The heated metal rod had blackened a large stretch of Alf's stomach. The Seeker's torso looked like an ugly mesh of purple, black, and bumpy skin - intercut by fortunate stretches of untouched flesh. Some areas of skin were also ripped and torn - almost as if they had been "sampled" and stripped away.

The peacock brought the metal cleaver closer to a particularly reddened area of Alf's bottom ribs. "Last bone took five hits. Why do you think this one is taking more?"

Alf merely sniffled, eyes tearing up again.

Shen brought the cleaver down.

 _CRACK._

"Ugh," Alf squeaked out - voice too exhausted from crying, screaming, and begging to properly vocalize. "Please… just please…"

"Looks like this one took _eight_ hits," Shen noted, prodding the freshly broken rib as Alf winced in agony. "Your anatomy truly fascinates me…"

"Why - why are you doing this…" Alf pleaded, embarrassed more that he couldn't keep himself from crying. "Just - just kill me… please…"

"Then your friends' sacrifice would have been in vain," Shen urged with a smile, then raised an eyebrow. "Or wait, was it the other way around? You sacrificing yourself for _them_ … for the panda…"

Shen moved away, putting the cleaver down to examine his box of tools. He wrote several notes down in a small black scroll.

Alf drew in shaky breaths. The pain in the past few hours had overwhelmed him to the point where he hadn't even thought through the logic of it all - how Shen had procured a button (a different one, at that) that could activate his collar, where the cannons were, where he actually was…

...where Po was. Where the Five were.

Where Yu was.

He sniffled. He had to believe they were coming for him.

He had to.

"Hmmm… but as a physical specimen you seem quite disappointing," Shen stated, moving back to Alf's strapped down body. "Seekers - at least the ones the legends talk about - were tall. Strong. Robust… _ferocious_."

Alf grunted, trying to summon courage that he knew he didn't have.

"You're fairly tall for - an adolescent, I suppose," Shen observed, scanning across Alf's frame. "But your muscle mass is lacking…"

Shen dug a small blade into Alf's right bicep.

A burst of fresh pain.

Unexpected.

Shen began dragging the blade down.

"AHHH! PLEASE!" Alf cried out, pain taking him by surprise because of the unique location. "PLEASE!"

The muscle began obediently tearing.

Shen pulled out the blade, growing irritated. "Hmm… you clearly have obedience issues…"

Alf saw the green button make its appearance in Shen's grasp again. He tried to prepare himself.

Shen pressed the green button.

The fire came back.

"ARGH! AHHH!"

"Quiet," Shen forced. "Either take ten seconds - silently - of this while I set the dial to half - or twenty seconds at _max_."

Alf cried again, shutting his mouth with an immensely struggling will.

The longest ten seconds of his life ensued. Every second was torture.

Looking at Shen was torture.

Feeling like this was torture.

He was used to being powerless.

But this felt different.

He felt - like an experiment.

"Good boy," Shen noted, releasing the button while claiming his scroll back to write some more information. "Emotional levels easily manipulated - respond well to pain-based submission…"

Alf sniffled.

"You mustn't think this is all personal," Shen whispered, moving to Alf's head position. "The scientific and research opportunities that I have in front of me - well, no one could pass it up."

Shen suddenly unstrapped Alf's head lock, along with the rest of the straps pinning his arms and legs down.

Alf's mind was in shock, but his body was too injured to react appropriately. So he laid there in silence, gasping for breath as the cracked ribs started to interfere with his breathing. Shen was unfazed, clasping Alf's entire body to roughly pull off the blood-stained table, flopping him into an open rickshaw cart. Alf collapsed into the small cart, feeling the peacock rudely kick his arms and legs inside the cart's broad frame.

Shen turned him around, gradually pulling the cart behind him as he headed for the ship.

"I - I know your parents loved you, once," Alf tried, desperately trying to recall any information he had picked up on Shen over the past month. "You - you were in-line to rule Gongmen…"

"I was," Shen replied casually, eyes still forward and focused on the metal ship about five hundred feet away. "Things changed."

"If - if you feel you have an ownership to Gongmen," Alf croaked out. "We can make that happen! The - the Jade Palace has excellent - ergh - legal teams…"

Alf was referencing the incompetent Zheng of course, but the peacock didn't know that.

"No," Shen spat. "Truth be told - for what I've done - I doubt anyone would let me keep control of this city…"

Alf blinked, head bumping roughly against the edge of the cart as Shen pulled it nonchalantly. "What - what did you do?"

Shen sighed, stopping his pace.

The peacock turned around. "Many years ago - a prophecy came to me. From that old goat you and your friends saw earlier."

Alf remembered the Soothsayer instantly.

"A warrior of black and white - " Shen continued. " - a panda - would come to stop me, to keep me from ruling Gongmen."

"She _can't_ have meant that," Alf coughed out, blood collecting in his mouth. "It - it was just a metaphor…"

Alf wasn't sure why he was vehemently trying to assuage Shen, get inside his psyche. His first thought was that it was just out of self-preservation - the longer he kept Shen off his torture stuff, and more on his inner turmoils - the longer the Five and Po had to come rescue him. He _had_ to believe that.

Yet a deeper part of him was fascinated with the peacock - interested by his connection to the Seeker lore and cannons - something felt off, and that metal ship seemed to be connected. Alf's base level feelings towards Shen was utter hate - but inside, a quiet fascination came with how the peacock was able to get the button, know his anatomy, and in his own sick, twisted way - _appreciate_ the Seekers.

Even if that meant reducing Alf's bones and organs to jelly.

Shen moved the cart along, again heading for the massive metal ship. "Metaphor it was not. She - she described them to me. Fluffy, large, fat creatures…"

Alf gulped, fearing the next few sentences.

"I enjoyed seeing all of them die," Shen recalled, lost in a dark nostalgia. "I loved seeing the source of my so-called destiny die…"

Alf restrained the urge to feel shocked.

So his suspicions were true.

Shen _had_ committed genocide against the pandas.

Po's parents were dead.

Or were they?

"I don't like having a stupid prophecy determine where my life is going," Shen noted. "Would you?"

On the surface, Alf agreed. But on second thought, who in their right mind would decide to exterminate a whole species?

Maybe it was just the blood loss.

"No," Alf cautiously pressed. "No I wouldn't…"

"Ah."

Shen stopped, allowing Alf to picture where he was.

The Seeker groaned. They were at the front base of the tall metal ship, yet seemingly disconnected from the rest of it. Two huge frames - probably doors - were etched into the metallic wall in front of them. They were both rusting already, but it bothered him less than Shen's giddy face upon seeing it.

The peacock rotated the cart, knowing Alf's limp body would be powerless to resist.

Shen pressed a feather to a small portion of the metal doors.

Alf shuddered, a booming voice bursting into existence.

It was unlike anything he had ever heard.

Cold.

Heartless.

Blunt.

 **[LIFE DETECTED. PROCEED WITH THERMAL SCAN.]**

Alf winced. The voice was so devoid of emotional overtones that it didn't even seem like it was a creature - it felt like some machine was producing the noise.

A small glass panel suddenly appeared on the section Shen had just touched.

"Touch your hand to the glass," Shen commanded.

Alf immediately knew the answer. "Screw off."

He didn't know what it was. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know what the hell was happening right now.

And he hated the peacock more than anything.

"Oh fine…" Shen motioned, roughly twisting and grabbing Alf's broken arm.

"ARGH!"

"Shut up, this won't hurt…" Shen forced, shoving Alf's open palm against the glass, watching the blood trickle down from his fingers.

A few moments of pause. Alf watched the glass panel reverberate.

The same booming voice came back.

 **[THERMAL SCAN COMPLETED. ACCESS AFFIRMED.]**

"YES!" Shen screamed immediately. "YES YES YES!"

Alf's eyes went agape.

He was being used again.

What the hell was the ship?

It couldn't have been a Seeker ship…

It couldn't.

Alf felt like he was going crazy.

 **[IDENTIFICATION NEEDED. STATE DESIGNATION.]**

"Designation…" Shen started, a bit confused. "Desgi - a name. Name! Tell it your name!"

Alf again refused, opting to firmly keep his mouth shut. Yet a large portion of him was growing interested - this had been the first moment he had seen something Seeker-related - something real, concrete, visible, tangible…

Yet he couldn't trust Shen.

Was this how the cannons were being built?

Stolen technology?

What was inside the ship?

"TELL YOUR NAME!" Shen screamed, punching Alf's already injured windpipe, then brought a blade close to the Seeker's eyes. "TELL IT, OR I WILL CARVE OUT YOUR VERY EYES!"

Alf again jittered, blood loss shocking him again. "A - Alf."

Another pause.

 **[DESIGNATION NOT FOUND. STATE DESIGNATION.]**

Shen swung his foot down on Alf's injured ribs.

 _CRACK._

"GIVE IT YOUR FULL NAME!" Shen roared. "DO IT!"

The pain was making it difficult for Alf to say much. "Ergh - Alfalfa!"

 **[DESIGNATION NOT FOUND. STATE DESIGNATION.]**

Alf was growing worried as Shen's face grew more angry, but also more curious.

"Ergh - Alfalfa Ping?"

How could the machine even know that?

 **[FALSE DESIGNATION GIVEN THREE TIMES. AUTO-LOCK ACTIVATED.]**

The glass panel abruptly shoved back inside, as the metal doors still stood back in rusting decay. Shen screamed loudly, leaping atop Alf's crushed torso.

 _CRACK._ Shen began the onslaught of punches against Alf's face.

"WHY - "

 _BAM._

"DIDN'T -"

 _THUD._

"IT - "

 _CRUSH._

"WORK?!"

 _THUD._

"YOUR FRIENDS TRICKED ME!"

 _BAM._

"ARE YOU EVEN A SEEKER!?"

 _CRACK._

 _CRACK._

 _CRACK._

Alf stopped feeling the hits after a while, drifting into unconsciousness. But not before a final burst of curiosity passed - at Shen, at the ship, at the button, the cannons…

At the Seekers.

At himself.

He didn't understand anything anymore.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Wooooo - wee! A longy but a goody!_

 _Quite a violent chapter! But other than that, not much to say. Lots of plots/points/timelines here, so be sure to keep track of 'em all! I feel this chapter was good for characterization too._

 _Sidenote: I realized my chapters sort of work like this: a brief paragraph or two to describe the scene, then followed by a dialogue-heavy/action heavy setting. There are some pros and cons to this, but let's focus on the cons…_

 _-Dialogue heavy chapters are fun for me, but also some lines can be cringey if you're not reading the line in the author's intent - I picture every line being said by the character, a la movie, or else the whole thing reads more like a play! So - try to read it like that, lol? I'll def. Try to improve descriptive aspects.._

 _Support is great. Simple yet easy :)_

 _~TW_


	29. KFP 2:12

" **The Factory (I)"**

* * *

Situated well outside of Gongmen, there was a place.

This place was quite ludicrous and completely stuck out against China's vibrant hillsides and lush greenery. It also differentiated significantly from Gongmen's bright red, tall architecture and buildings - covered in grey, dull, coldly indifferent paint and a flat structure surrounded by hundreds of wolf guards armed to their fangs - it certainly stuck out. The entire area felt like a giant, grey playground firmly rooted in the demolished dirt and lack of life and/or landscape around it - only a tall, cylindrical chimney at the top emitted some smoke.

The closest word to describing it - was a factory.

Although the factory was nothing in comparison to what was inside - for if an observer would dive through the tiny, miniscule gaps in the armed wolf guard forces and peek inside the twin metallic doors leading inside - and then look past the massive cauldrons of boiling metal, lava, fire, wolf workers, high metal ceilings, conveyor belts, and random machinery -

"What do you mean he hasn't reported in yet!?"

"I don't know boss - he just hasn't!"

"He's my best soldier! Find him at once!"

The peacock - as if it was truly necessary - slapped the young wolf across the face, forcing the inexperienced soldier to trot away as if he had just received the gift of a lifetime. Shen meanwhile, turned back to the present scenario - equal parts excited as he was nervous.

He had grown tired of toying with the Seeker after a while. While he couldn't possibly risk anyone knowing the location of the cave - and hence why he had opted to leave the boy unguarded - Shen was confident that no one would be able to find the fleshling tied up, weak, and unable to cry for help deep in the recesses of the cave. The peacock had made sure that even from his relatively far distance from the cave - standing atop a metallic railing and surveying his wolf workers diligently melt metal beneath him in massive cauldrons - Shen would make sure to keep the Seeker down. He was tied, completely broken, and for the large part - just waiting for Shen to come back and continue his "experiments" - even given how unsuccessful they were.

But nothing could compare to the turmoil of Zhong. Since the Tower collapse, Shen had barely seen his most trusty wolf warrior anywhere - and given the relative lack of obscurity that the peacock had with dealing with his oldest friend… something felt off.

Different.

Zhong was definitely alive - he was too tough to die.

But where was he now?

"HELP!" a sudden cry came. "THE FURIOUS - ERGH!"

 _CRASH_.

"What?!" Shen roared, looking suddenly below him.

A stream of movement.

The ceiling of the factory was cracking.

Glass was being shattered all around the large space.

Cauldrons tipped over.

Yelling from his wolf soldiers.

Shen turned his vision to the ground floor.

Swathed in a horde of rapidly approaching wolf soldiers - seven individuals stood in a tightly-knit group.

A tiger, a panda, a praying mantis, a snake, a monkey - and - Master Shifu?

Shen growled.

 _BANG._

This noise stopped everyone in their tracks. Shen had barely enough time to react to the new arrivals, oscillating his head up to look at the much more massive, second source of noise - peeking beyond the iron-framed windows that allowed a small slit of light from the outside to shine through.

Shen gasped, seeing China's sky act odd.

A massive green cloud loomed in the farthest distance.

 **. . .**

"Piece of shit."

She stopped.

"No good, old motherf - "

She stopped again.

Yu gasped, tired and out of breath.

Because of the fact that she was never properly seen to be hanging around with the other members of the Jade Palace - the very ones she was cursing out right now - Yu found it very easy to blend into Gongmen's local populace. It was midnight nearly, and a cool breeze ran through the city - and yet the place was still bustling - active wolf soldiers hurried along villagers along cramped corridors beset by tall red roofs - all in pursuit of metal and iron. Yu personally felt it quite subpar, considering that under stress the villagers were inclined to do anything to keep the wolf presence off their collective backs - but this didn't seem to matter for Shen's mindless grunts.

Speaking of Shen - and Yu's bigger interest and obvious charge, Alf - the Tower of Something Flame was apparently not even there. After covertly speaking to some villagers, Yu realized that the Tower had been destroyed - which she inferenced to be from the Five's attack.

But nothing on Alf.

There were whispers, of course.

Rumors.

Some people - when they thought no one was looking - would often murmur names and places, recalling a "fleshling" that Shen had captured.

Many were shocked.

Most disbelieved.

A few were simply in awe.

But nothing on where he was.

Absolutely nothing.

She had been searching for nearly an hour.

The worst part was that it didn't even remotely surprise Yu. Just the fact that there was a Seeker in Gongmen seemed to be a laughable matter that no one she had spoken to was taking seriously - or at least something no one discussed. It was perhaps foolish to expect the same people to know where this "imaginary" Seeker was.

Yu groaned, leaning against a vacant pillar in Gongmen's central marketplace, feeling more defeated than ever as a few stray lines of villagers were hurried along by guards in front of her.

She tugged at the drawstrings of her pants, staring at the brilliant moon embellished into the night sky. It felt so painful, so stupid, so short-sighted to seriously think she alone had any hope of finding Alf - and it felt even more hurtful to know what Shen was likely doing (or had already done) to him.

It wasn't even about telling him about the Yongshi. It wasn't even about telling him about Shifu.

It wasn't even about telling him how she loved him.

It was the fact that she might not see him again.

It was the frustrating feeling of never seeing his smile.

His lips.

His sweet words.

No goodbyes.

Yu sobbed, covering herself into her knees. She had been a fool.

She couldn't find him. There was no way.

 _BANG._

The fox grimaced, looking up into the sky.

A massive green cloud.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Many questions? Good!_

 _1\. Where were you the last two weeks!?_

 _A: Out of country. Poor internet + hacker made uploading sh** very, very difficult. :( On the flip side, new chapter coming this Friday!_

 _2\. Why is this chapter so short? So random? So - sort of jumping ahead in timeline?_

 _A: This - this is one of my riskier chapters, to pull off - artistically. This chapter is actually A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF FORESHADOWING for the rest of KFP 2 - you have to sort of analyze each and every line to to see what's happening - I sort of did this to reward long-time fans who follow this nonsense :D - as well as deliver a really tightly-packed chapter which might or might not be easy to understand at first - at first read that is. ;) I took GREAT care to hide the subtext as much as possible._

 _Let's put it this way: on the surface, it has a shen scene wondering where zhong is, then a yu scene._

 _On the deeper lever? MUCH, MUCH more._

 _Have fun analyzing and speculating!_

 _Oh, and next chapter will be quite dense so prepare yourselves - think we're all in for one hell of a ride! This'll be the last time I post a sort of "experimental" chapter like this - future chapters will be back to my usual style. But let me know if you thought this was cool!_

 _Support = better than words._

 _~TW_


	30. KFP 2:13

" **The Factory (II)"**

* * *

"Tigress."

No response.

"Ti come on…"

Nothing.

"For Scrolls' sake will you just _look_ at me?"

Po roughly grabbed her arm back, seeing a clear image of her face - the first time he had seen her within the past hour or so since Shifu had came.

After Crane and Mantis had done their best to stitch up everyone's wounds - or at least anything they could seal up, and slow the bleeding - Shifu had insisted on proceeding towards the Cannon Factory as soon as possible. Within perhaps thirty minutes of trekking across a large stretch of grassland underneath the graceful moonlight, while stealthily avoiding the wolf guard patrols situated outside of Gongmen - Po, the Five, and Shifu had managed to locate a heavily patrolled grey building located at the outskirts of the city. Tall billows of smoke blew out from the factory, which confirmed Shifu's suspicion - all the metal and cannons were being collected here, before being shipped out.

Yet despite the quiet, fragrant silence of the grassland around himself while the rest of the Five and Shifu formed a small group, planning a way in - Po was only concerned with two things: Alf, and Tigress' face.

Tigress' face, like everyone else, had mostly healed. Most of the scars and bruises - even the new ones Shifu had given her - had managed to seal themselves. Yet Po was more curious about the ones underneath the surface, the ones she wasn't talking about.

Alf was a different story. Po perhaps found it difficult to believe that the Seekers had anything to do with the pandas being gone - but there was something about Shen's voice that night, the intensity with which he said it.

Po shoved those thoughts aside. He would worry about his feelings toward Alf later. He would worry about whether his best friend was even alive - later.

Right now only one thing was important.

"You've _barely_ said a word since we headed for the Factory," Po noted, satisfied to be outside of earshot of the rest of the Five and Shifu. "We're about to get in a _huge_ fight. If you're distrac - "

"I won't," came the silent response. "I'm focused."

Po shook his head, fearing that she took it the wrong way. "No! Not like that… I mean Ti come on… I know you've gotta be feeling shitty since - "

"He was right," Tigress whispered, staring back at Shifu and the rest of the Five discussing the attack plan a safe distance away. "He was telling the truth, Po."

"Whaddya mean?" the panda genuinely asked.

"I've become distracted since you and the Seeker came here," Tigress jutted out, gulping while still refusing to stare directly at Po. "I've - lost my way of being a leader… a warrior…"

"What happened to _Alice_?" Po asked in surprise. " _Allison? Angelina?_ "

"That's the thing, Po," Tigress noted, finally looking back at the panda now. "I've become too - relaxed. Too easygoing. I - I am a servant of the Jade Pal - "

"Tigress you're sliding back into who you _used_ to be," Po forced, grasping both of her arms tightly. "Quiet. Heartless. A freakin' _machine_. You're not - "

"I've lost who I was," Tigress silently countered. "I've lost who I was _meant_ to be."

Po was growing infuriated, staring hard into her amber eyes. " _This_ isn't you. Not anymore. Please - please don't - don't go back to being - _hardcore_."

"Why?" Tigress squeaked out, voice throttling a bit. "Look at _what's_ happened. To - to the Seeker. To us. To - everything and us failing to get Shen…"

Po sighed.

Trying to untangle her from this sort of haze of feelings was near impossible. There were so many layers to it - the guilt from not rescuing Alf, the pressure Shifu had been putting on Tigress her whole life, the pressure of leading a team which increasingly saw her as growing unfit to lead - Po even wondered whether the Dragon Scroll, him being the Dragon Warrior instead of her had come up in Tigress' mind within the last hour. She was hurting, and hurting bad - and Po knew that she was trying to find a place of stability again, a place where she wouldn't experience any of these negative emotions.

But that would mean the old Tigress would be back.

Hardcore. Emotionless.

Master Tigress. Leader of the Furious Five.

Nothing more.

"Tigress you - you're taking what Shifu said, what Shifu _did_ …" Po started, desperate now. "... too seriously. You're - "

"He was _right_ , Po - maybe being who I used to be - maybe that's who I'm supposed to - "

"I love you."

Then nothing.

More nothing.

Po's brain took a few seconds to process what had just happened. Maybe it was the growing sense of helplessness that he felt, knowing he wasn't able to help Tigress - or maybe it was because of all the hours he had spent alone with her, all the nights he had spent sparring with her, or that night in the boat, or an hour ago when he was protecting him from Shifu, or any significant moment they had.

Which was every moment.

But something forced Po's mouth to begin moving before his mind gave an order. His heart was speaking without his permission.

"What?" Tigress repeated, dumbfounded. "What did you say?"

And Po didn't mind letting it.

"I love you," the panda repeated perfectly. "Always have. From - from the first time I saw you fighting some boar dude when you were a teenager, and the first time you saw me at the Dragon Warrior Tournament - I - "

Po was growing concerned, because Tigress' facial expression remained completely static.

"I - I love you, Tigress," Po continued, grasping her paws softly. "I - I don't want you to go back to - being who you were."

A pause.

Po took every moment to scan each of her features, searching desperately for an affirmation.

A smile.

A nod.

A head tilt.

Maybe even a blink.

A breath.

"I have to be what I was raised to be, Dragon Warrior," Tigress noted, standing up from her kneeling position. "You - you be what you were chosen to be."

Po stood up alongside her, feeling a massive pit of weight just sink in his chest.

She hadn't even acknowledged it. But in a way she had.

It was even worse that not reciprocating.

It was acceptance - acceptance of the "fates" they both had.

Their "destinies".

And just then, Po remembered Alf's hatred of prophecies, Shifu, Oogway, destinies, and predetermined fate. He didn't understand it all before. He didn't understand what was so morally wrong about all of it.

Now he did. Bit by bit.

"Okay we got a great plan," Crane's voice came in. "Guys, you ready?"

"We're ready," Tigress spoke at once, voice unusually harsh and cold. "What's the plan?"

Another weight sank in Po's chest. He was starting to see Tigress' old personality slowly replace all the good work he and Alf - and so many others - had put in over the two years. The rest of the Five and Shifu didn't appear to notice, forming a small circle around himself while addressing Po and Tigress.

"We sneak past the right entrance guards," Viper started, tail still a little sore as she pointed out a lightly armed pack of wolves far away. "They seem inexperienced, young, and tired."

"We scale our way to the top of the Factory," Mantis continued, pointing out a tip of the chimney at the roof of the building. "Dive in and ruin Shen's day!"

Shifu leapt atop his staff now, turning to face Tigress. Po felt conflicted - a part of him wanted to instinctively inch closer to her, but another part of him felt like something had fundamentally changed about her.

Maybe for good.

"Do you think you can follow the plan, _this_ time Master Tigress?" Shifu spat, paw already preemptively twitching behind his back.

Tigress nodded mechanically at him. "Yes Master, I will follow the plan."

The voice was blank and static. Po's heart sunk even more.

"Good then," Shifu admitted, partially satisfied. "Let's move."

Po wanted to wait a bit. One by one, he watched each of the Five follow behind Shifu as they headed towards the side entrance of the Factory - camouflaging themselves in tall grass. He was really waiting for something from Tigress - maybe a backward glance, a silent whisper, perhaps even a reluctant sigh.

She followed the others, not even turning back.

Po shoved his feelings into the same area where he had kept his thoughts about Alf. He would analyze both at a later time.

Right now there was work to do.

A flash out of the corner of his eye. Po stared up into the sky.

A green cloud.

 **. . .**

"What do you mean he hasn't reported in yet?!"

"I - I - "

"You don't know."

Shen stopped himself, confused. The young wolf quivered in his place.

"Uh - yeah that's what I was going to say," the wolf answered, turning to the peacock. "How'd you know boss?"

"I - " Shen started, walking away. "I - just _did_."

The peacock ignored the young, confused soldier. Shen was feeling a portion of his head hurt - for some reason, it felt like he somehow already knew what the wolf was going to say - not that Shen predicted it, but that he _knew_ it.

He turned back to his factory, happily seeing the legions of wolf workers laboring underneath him, heaving heavy bags of metal into places while large cauldrons swung on conveyor belts - all headed to a massive pit of boiling metal. The atmosphere was dim and dull, but bright at the same time - the reflections of fire and shiny metal cast all around the multi-storied area.

"Uh so boss, you uh - " the wolf started again. " - want me to track down Zhong, or not?"

"No…" Shen started, feeling random thoughts emerge - things he didn't quite understand. "... no get all the men you can, and prepare for an assault from the ceiling."

"What?"

"JUST DO AS I SAY!"

Shen delivered a searing slap across the young wolf, as he trounced away after - shouting to all nearby wolves to ready themselves.

The peacock felt his head throb again. He wasn't even sure what was compelling to do all these seemingly random things - but there was some intuition, some key element of foresight that was going off like crazy - from the wolf's speech, to Zhong, right down to the slap - so why did he feel like something insane was going to happen? The Factory was well away from all of Gongmen, and there was no way the Five and the flabby panda could have escaped from his wolf forces after the Tower collapse - and of course, the fleshling was firmly imprisoned in the cave.

But something felt off. Something felt too familiar.

Shen had learned to trust his instincts after all these years.

A group of nearly twenty wolf soldiers - the strongest the young scout could find - had suddenly formed a circle on the highest level of the Factory, standing around Shen as the peacock kept a fierce gaze at the ceiling.

"Archers," Shen noted. "Fire at the ceiling."

A group of ten wolves stepped forward and unsheathed their bows, but they seemed hesitant to waste precious arrows shooting at nothing.

"DO AS I SAY!" Shen roared.

The ferocity in the peacock's voice was enough. The archers promptly fired multiple rounds of arrows straight into the ceiling.

 _CRASH._

 _THUNK._

 _CRUNK._

 _WHAP._

Shen felt his head throb again, remembering the glass shattering - the roof becoming destroyed.

But this time felt different.

As the glass ceiling gave way, seven limp figures fell gracefully through the air - arrows embedded in their bodies.

They fell to the top floor of the Factory with agonizing noises.

 _SQUELCH._

"What the - " one of the soldiers started. "LOOK! THE PANDA AND THE FURIOUS FIVE!"

"AND - MASTER SHIFU!" another wolf yelled out. "LET'S GET 'EM!"

Shen watched the twenty soldiers rush forward across the metal railing in a burst of speed, quickly reaching the seven downed figures. The soldiers began a whirlwind series of kicks, punches, and slices at the downed figures. Shen was satisfied to see no resistance.

"Stop!" Shen called out, bored - when in truth, he wanted to go closer to observe. "Let me have a look…"

As the soldiers made a small entrance for Shen to squeeze through, the peacock observed several things.

The downed figures were indeed the Five, the panda, and Master Shifu - which greatly surprised Shen. Nevertheless, all had arrows wedged into their ribs - or in Mantis' and Crane's cases - their heads, with large pools of blood spreading rapidly from each individual, no doubt helped by the wolves' vicious attacks.

The peacock was happy. Masters Mantis, Crane, Viper, and Monkey were instantly dead - Tigress seemed moving but weak, while Shifu skillfully tore an arrow out of his chest while wheezing. The panda stared at Shen - in great pain, but also great sadness.

Defeat.

"Surprised to see you here," Shen noted, withdrawing his silver blade while staring at Shifu. "Shame we won't get the chance to meet in better conditions…"

Shen shoved his blade forward, cutting right through Shifu's chest effortlessly.

"NO!" Tigress called out. "FATHER!"

Shen casually tossed aside the discarded blade and Shifu's corpse. He turned his attention to Tigress - who was still weak to fight physically, yet growled at Shen with pure loathing as he approached - another blade already withdrawn.

"WAIT!" Po called out, tears flowing down his face. "LET HER GO! JUST - PLEASE!"

Shen slashed viciously across Tigress' neck, splitting it open. A burst of blood spilled out immediately. She collapsed to the floor, motionless.

"NOOO!" Po roared, clasping his broken forearm in rage. "YOU - YOU MONS - ERGH!"

Shen effortlessly brought the blade atop Po's skull, cleanly causing a fissure while he left it wedged in his head. The panda gasped for breath as the rest of the surrounding wolf soldiers laughed.

The peacock grinned. "Hmmm - I guess it took a while, but finishing off the pandas… guess my job's done now…"

Shen kicked the panda heavily in the chest, watching him roll backward and off the metallic railing. Po's body fell for approximately ten feet before splashing into a moving cauldron of molten metal.

The peacock turned back, sudden odor catching his nose.

A green mist spread through the factory.

 **. . .**

"AHHHH!"

"SHUT UP!"

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Zhong was growing irritated. The sheep was completely being uncooperative - granted, he was going to kill her so perhaps her reaction was to be expected - but still, it made his job very hard. The scenery outside Gongmen was a nice change from the the disordered chaos of the city - lush green bushes, a large stretch of grassland, some trees, and even a small river!

The same river where he would shoot the crossbow and dump their bodies.

"ERGH - PLEASE!"

Somehow, the sheep managed to break free of her bindings and collapse onto the dusty ground.

"I have a husband! I - I - I have two baby boys - they - "

 _BANG._

Zhong was thrown back by the force of the noise, feeling a wallop of air collide into his back. The Wolf Boss flew at least fifteen feet away, struggling to get his bearings as fresh dust settled into his nostrils. He blinked any residue dirt out of his eyes, standing up gradually as his eyes were blinded by a strong green light.

The sheep was shell-shocked and still standing. Two figures - clad in dark, overwhelmingly thick black robes - moved past the amazed sheep and moved onto Zhong.

The Wolf Boss started to emerge upwards, but was shot down viciously as an arrow lunged straight through his cranium.

 _CRICK._

"AAAH!" the sheep screamed in horror, watching Zhong's body collapse onto the dusty ground. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!"

The two figures said nothing, forms gently fading away into air with puffy black smoke emerging beneath them. The sheep felt a cold chill in the air as China's sky darkened - a green cloud made its way over Gongmen.

 **. . .**

Alf was bleeding.

He had bleeding for the last few hours, but the pain was so recurrent that it would come and go as it pleased - sometimes, it felt almost normal and escapable. On other times, it felt like a searing knife was cutting through every inch of his flesh. The cave of course was the worst place in the world to feel this way - strapped to some cold metallic table, with nothing but the massive cave stalagmites and the looming metal ship in the distance to offer him some company. The same white chill that ran through him (probably from blood loss) was not leaving him anytime soon - but more than that, Alf had taken his captured body and mind in a positive manner - mostly, for reflection.

It had become increasingly apparent that no one was coming for him. The Seeker had entertained a fantasy for a while that any second now, Po and Tigress would come bursting in through some entryway into this idiotic space - preferably with the Five in tow - and cut him free.

That fantasy felt delusional at this point.

Several things ran through his mind. Although being down here and subject to Shen's "treatments" meant that he had gradually lost track of time, Alf could tell that it had been many days since the Tower had collapsed - and yet, there wasn't even an inkling of the fact that Shen was defeated, much less captured. And consequently, any semblance of a "rescue" effort seemed to be predisposed to follow only after Shen's forces were defeated.

But the peacock - ever the showman - promised Alf at the end of his last series of "experiments" that he would be back.

And that was just an hour ago.

Alf fidgeted, feeling hot liquid run down his face as a crack in his forehead skin threatened to burst again. One part of him was satisfied that at least the Five and Po knew where the cannons were - or at least some cryptic message where they were - so that was comforting.

And then there was the metal ship, standing nearly a hundred feet away. Compared to the rocky cave surfaces all around Alf, the ship was so randomly placed, so much of a mystery that the Seeker fought between contemplating where the Five and Po were and what the ship was all about.

Shen asked him for his hand.

Something happened.

The ship talked.

It knew he was a Seeker.

It didn't accept him?

Alf groaned. A small part of him wanted to see Yu again, and tell her just how horrible the last few days had gone - between forced to play a prostitute, then having Shen beat the absolute skin off him, then being forced to take off his -

The mask.

The identity.

The secret.

It was out.

He just remembered.

He moaned again. He would think of _those_ repercussions later. Now, everything had to be focused on keeping all the blood inside him from leaking out.

 **Ah - at long last, the connection's back.**

"What the - " Alf tilted his head up from his uncomfortable position. "SHEN! WHERE ARE YOU!? JUST GET IT OVER WITH AND KILL ME YOU COWARD!"

Alf frantically looked around the enormous space, seeing nothing but stalagmites and the looming ship in the distance. It was frustrating to be tied down, especially since it allowed him to only see a fraction of what he usually saw.

 **I am not the peacock, fool.**

 **Get up.**

 **Hopefully you'll prove more apt than the snow leopard.**

Alf searched around, trying to see any sign of feathers or the flash of a silver blade. "Your trippy mind games are boring the shit outta me peacock - just get me - "

 **Obedience.**

 **You need to learn some.**

A terrible sensation as the voice went silent for a second.

The pounding of a million knives.

The bursting of a million fires.

All was going into Alf's head.

"ARGH!" he screamed. "ARGH - WHAT THE - STOP, PLEASE!"

 **Be silent.**

 **I shall take the pain away.**

Alf gasped for breath, letting his head hit back to the metal table as the pain slowly slid away. "What - what the hell?"

 **If you are done wasting my time, I have things to do.**

 **There is a switch right above your head.**

 **Press it to free yourself.**

Alf began hyperventilating, feeling an awkward fear come up. Something about the voice - which he had no idea how it, or whatever was - was speaking to him, making him cringe, reminding him of the nightmares he had so often for the last two years or so.

Ever since Tai Lung.

Alf inched his bound head upward, seeing a mild button atop him - this shocked him even more. "I - I - I'm going crazy - I'm going crazy… how, how - how the hell can I reach the - "

 **Dislocate your wrist.**

 **Use its broken form to squeeze through the narrow locks.**

Alf shook his head, looking at his bloodied wrist - already a bit split from Shen's instruments. "I - I can't - I - "

 **Oh for goodness' sake…**

"ARGH!" Alf roared.

 _CRACK._

Alf's wrist pressed inward, fracturing the delicate bone structure inside. Alf howled in pain.

 **Get your wrist out now.**

 **Be quick, I cannot interface much with this wretched world.**

 **So much distance between us.**

 **Not for long.**

Alf struggled, feeling every instinct of doubt and fear creep up against the voice as he managed to pull his wrist out of the narrow lock. Alf whimpered as his bloody hand flopped meaninglessly, wrist bones no longer anchoring it in place. With a herculean effort, he swung his sore arm behind him - gratefully colliding his fingers with the button.

 _SNIP._

 _SNAP._

 _CLICK._

 _CLACK._

 _CHUCK._

Alf felt the metallic restraints slowly wrap away from him. His arms and legs felt mobile now, as the metallic locks unlocked and receded into the metal table.

 **The peacock cannibalized such a - primitive instrument from our technology.**

 **And ironically - used it to keep one of our own captive!**

 **I am grateful we have moved past such ancient devices…**

 **Though judging by this world, even this might be far too advanced for such…**

… **low forms of life.**

Alf coughed and coughed, breathing out large breaths of blood. He wasn't even thinking about moving out of his lying down position.

"What - What - " Alf moaned, breathing heavily. "What the hell is going on?"

 **Too much for your small mind to comprehend.**

 **Even if it Seeker.**

 **Get up, boy.**

 **We have work to do.**

And despite every fiber of his being saying no, Alf felt compelled to slowly edge out of his table. He collapsed onto his knees, feeling hot breaths make their way out of his lungs - for the first time in many hours - feeling his limbs and body move independently.

"Have - have to find the Five…" Alf started, coughing out dust. "Have - have to find Po…"

He was hoping that the random, delusional voice would go away once his blood loss stopped.

 **Go near F74.**

Alf shook his head, frustrated that the voice was continuing. "Whatever this is - whatever or whoever you are - get the hell outta my - "

 **It is imperative that you listen now.**

 **Go near F74.**

 **Activate the emergency bypass.**

 **It is the only way to restore your dimension.**

"I don't understand any of that bullshit," Alf muttered, feeling silly as he stood up and felt the blood in his head rush. "I need to find my friends you - you _weird, creepy_ voice guy."

 **Your friends are dead.**

 **The peacock has killed them.**

 **Listen to me.**

Alf growled, suddenly feeling the pain slip away and morph into anger. "SHEN! WHAT DID YOU INJECT ME WITH!?"

His voice echoed throughout the empty cave, bouncing off and reverberating with the massive metal ship.

 **The homing beacon around your neck interfaced with F74.**

 **When the peacock was torturing you.**

 **Your world is now in permanent quantum flux.**

 **There is only one way to fix your predicament.**

 **Auto-target the reality of designation, and zero all possibility functions.**

 **Even via boolean semantics, you must properly plot the principal components.**

Alf fought a burgeoning urge to laugh. He looked around again, desperately hoping for the peacock out of somewhere - perhaps with a syringe. He saw no one however, so Alf elected to ignore the voice's rambling nonsense and proceed to the edges of the cave - there was a good chance an exit pathway was somewhere. This was made difficult by the lack of light entering the massive space - nothing but jettisons of rock and the reflective metal ship, of course.

 **I understand you may feel confused.**

 **I shall simplify.**

 **Go the giant ship you see behind you.**

Alf scoffed loudly, listening his tones echo through the tall cave. "Who - the hell - are you? What's happening? Answer me!"

A pause.

Alf sighed. He was truly feeling out of place with reality.

It felt like a nightmare.

 **In time.**

 **Once we reach.**

 **But for now, understand that while you may not know who I am…**

… **I saved you.**

"You broke my wrist," Alf spat, infuriated that he was actually entertaining this mystical nonsense.

 **Regrettable.**

 **But the distance between us limits how well I can interact with this planet.**

 **So listen to me, if you want your friends alive again.**

 **Go to the ship.**

"My friends are busy destroying the cannon factory," Alf retorted, huffing. "I've gotta meet up with them before - "

 **As I told you, your friends have already been killed.**

 **Wait.**

 **Your current reality has changed again.**

 **The snow leopard has destroyed this city.**

"Tai Lung?" Alf reiterated, shocked. "He's dead!"

 **Not in the timeline you are in.**

 **This reality allowed the snow leopard to kill you two years ago.**

 **He has brought this continent under his rule.**

Alf's eyes were suddenly drawn to the reflective surface of the metal ship, feeling an odd sense of inescapable curiosity run through him. So much of it seemed to be speaking out to him - and that was even before this mystical voice nonsense had sprouted up. Alf took the moment to better study the metal ship - see the tall, five hundred foot height along with its broad metallic frame.

 **Please listen.**

 **I have no intention of harming anyone.**

 **Especially one of our own.**

 **The snow leopard experiment proved that coercion is rarely optimal.**

 **Go to the ship.**

 **Fix your world.**

"One of our own…" Alf repeated, quietly. "Are you - are you a Seeker?"

 **That is an ancient name.**

 **We call ourselves - humans.**

Alf's breath was shaking. The mere word felt like something old, something very deep and dark - he tried to analyze every inch of the voice's tones.

"Where are you?" Alf started, eagerness starting to brim - although a large majority of him still felt he was dreaming. "Wait! I - "

 **No more questions.**

 **Go.**

 **To.**

 **The.**

 **Ship.**

Alf immediately sprinted off in the direction of the ship, ignoring the blood loss and all the mayhem over the past few hours.

He wasn't sure whether this was a delusion or not. He wasn't sure where Shen was. He had no idea what to make of the voice - and found the facts it spouted so unbelievable, so uncharacteristic of his life so far that finding it out - it was the same rush of adrenaline and excitement Alf got when the book had been delivered to him from his mysterious contact.

Two years of research.

Two years of searching.

He was finding something.

He didn't know what.

But it was there.

Alf stopped his gait, staring up at the massive metal ship tower over him and stretch to the ceiling of the cave.

"I - I'm not going crazy, right - erm - what do I call you?" Alf started.

 **No need to divulge that.**

 **Yet.**

 **Press your hand to the ship's glass paneling.**

Alf observed the tall twin doors, seeing the rectangular glass panel sit there in silence. "That didn't work last time - it - "

 **Trust me.**

Alf shut down his rational side again.

He complied, pressing his bloodied hand to the glass as thin trickles of red liquid ran down the glass.

The same booming voice that he remembered came back.

 **[ACCESS DENIED: DESIGNATION NOT FOUND]**

"See?" Alf sighed.

 _ **Press both hands to it.**_

 _ **Move them up and down.**_

Alf did exactly that.

The next sequence of movements shocked him.

 _CRICK._

 _BANG._

 _WHAM._

 _RING._

The ship was evolving.

Something seemed off - the metallic roofs and pointy ridges of the ship were slowly decreasing, receding into themselves. Alf watched in amazement as two large, cylindrical pillars came out of the corners of the ship - nearly hundreds of feet above his vision. The pillars swiveled, rotating faster and faster until the very essence of the pillar features disappeared - nothing more than moving metal blurs. This continued for a while, until the spinning stopped in a fraction of a second - and the pillars retreated and the corners of the ship emerged once more.

Green mist began spreading from the glass panel.

"What the - " Alf started. "Why can't I go inside? What just happened?"

 **Your timeline is being reconstructed.**

 **Do not fear anything.**

"What's the green stuff?" Alf called out in fear, watching it wrap around him and obscure all of his vision.

 **Payment for freeing you.**

 **Thank you for initiating the next step.**

"Payment whaddya mean payment?" Alf breathed, bending down as the green mist started to completely obfuscate his field of view. "What's happening?!"

 **I help fix your timeline.**

 **I get something from you.**

 **Now that I have it - I can help fix your problem.**

 **Thank you.**

"Whaddya get from me?" Alf noted dangerously. "What? WHAT?!"

The green mist wrapped itself further around him.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Ahhhh - the speculations continue! I love writing chapters like these! Lots of dense drama and plot..._

 _Aside from the obvious plot complexity, I hope everyone enjoyed the characterization in this chapter. It's actually enormously rewarding to think of Tigress as a character study - she has so many layers and so many ways to her that I think just writing her is very rewarding. She has so much juicy character drama with her backstory!_

… _and I'm still not revealing anything about the plot. However I hope this chapter confirms that - this won't be about aliens! XD._

 _Support is amazing. Simple :)_

 _~TW_


	31. KFP 2:14

" **Questions and Answers"**

* * *

Although Zhong didn't believe it, he was actually following this old goat.

He was surprised how much stamina she had. The Soothsayer had beckoned Zhong alongside herself for at least five thousand paces away from Gongmen - indeed, the length of the Chinese terrain - outfitted with heavy dirt and luminous stretches of grassland - glistened under the brandishing moonlight. Zhong - under the service of Shen and months of pillaging metal from villages - had never taken the time to appreciate the scenery around the blasted city. Almost immediately once they left the city boundaries, a splurge of wild grass and tall lilies came bursting from the ground, with no other artificial structures in sight - and along with the mud stretches surrounding the city, Zhong felt almost feral once more, as a cub who gleefully trotted along with the peacock whilst playing outside Gongmen.

How he wished for those days to return.

"You seem buried in thought," the goat whispered beside the Boss Wolf, flashing him a confused glare. "You're not going to ask me where we're going?"

"You know, when I was young - Shen and I would race around the city," Zhong chuckled, losing himself in nostalgia as he walked. "Cheeky little dude. Always managed to beat me…"

"Why are you remembering that, out of all the things?" the goat queried.

"Because even back then, Shen had some - some _edge_ to him," Zhong muttered, eyes narrowing. "The need to compete, to win, to destroy any opponents - only my dumbass actually thought it was a friendly race - he thought it was life or death."

The Soothsayer stopped her tread, gently holding the larger wolf back.

"Why _did_ you join his army?" the goat whispered. "You don't look the type to enjoy killing - stealing - and Scrolls know what else."

Zhong snorted, staring up at the sky. "Why does anyone do anything? Because it was _easy._ "

The goat waited for Zhong to continue his explanation.

"You're older than me, so you know it better than most," Zhong uttered. "There was a time when wolves weren't thought of as - uh - the best citizens in people's eyes."

Zhong turned away, threatening to get lost in thought again. "My mother was a carpenter and my father was addicted to opium - heh, we grew up next to the damn sewers of Gongmen."

He paused, warmth collecting behind his eyes.

Zhong quickly suppressed it. "Back then, you _know_ how the city was split - the rich and the middle class in the nice center of the city. The lower class and poor guys - mostly wolves - fended off the outside lines, and in my case - the sewers."

The Soothsayer lightly hazarded a touch to Zhong's forearm. "It's gotten better now."

"You could say," Zhong returned immediately. "At least - I guess having a warlord take over your city screws up the gentrification anyway…"

The old goat smiled.

"...but that was my situation, nearly twenty-something years ago." Zhong emphasized. "Starving, unable parents, picked on because of what I looked like - and most of all - _angry_."

"At your situation," the Soothsayer noted. "At your life."

"Not just that," Zhong forced, beginning to circle in the dirt now. "It was - it was the fact that the same rich assholes who threw apples and arrows at me - those were the same morons who got the nice, fancy houses. It wasn't just anger…"

"You were feeling violent," the goat finished for him. "Anarchist."

"I was - I guess looking back on it - an extremist," Zhong noted, recollecting his youth. "And then - one day while I'm scouring the local trash cans for some spring rolls - along comes this peacock."

The Soothsayer stared harder at Zhong, more excited now that Shen was beginning to get referenced.

Zhong seemed to recall the memory fondly. "He was - angrier than me. At first look he looked like a city kid - I'd heard he was the son of the peacocks who ruled Gongmen - but he didn't sound like it."

"How did he sound like?"

Zhong paused again, trying to recall details. "Fierce. Sympathetic to the lower class. Dude looked like even as a kid - he was capable of _killing_."

Zhong stopped the recall, growing frustrated at another sign he had missed - Shen's personality had been evident since the beginning - he just didn't understand it until now.

"So this young, angry, poor wolf links up with this rich, royalty boy - and as soon as I rolled over to his side…" Zhong stopped, trying to choose his next words carefully. "... I figure that's when he started to realize he could do anything he wanted. Even - even kill an entire - "

Zhong stopped, staring at the sky again as he growled. The Soothsayer, as empathetic as ever, moved over to his side and watched the brilliant moonlight above them. She squeezed his paw in gentle reassurance.

"Not all the fault is on you," the goat mentioned quietly. "I knew him since he was born. I knew him - even as he suckled milk from his mother - how innocent he was… I never could have foretold what he did to the pandas…"

Zhong sniffled, looking away.

The Soothsayer stood up confidently, placing a hoof on Zhong's shoulder. "Zhong - I'd rather wait a bit until we look at your - feelings with what you've done for Shen. Just know two things: everyone can come back from the bottom, and sometimes - we get bigger tasks to do."

Zhong smiled genuinely back at her, feeling his soul uplift a bit. "Thanks - wait bigger tasks? Whaddya mean?"

The Soothsayer pointed ahead.

Zhong shifted his head upwards, just now noticing a massive tunnel that seemed randomly placed in the middle of nowhere - well outside of Gongmen, well outside of the dirt path they were on, and completely burrowing deep into the ground. It was huge, cylindrical, and had some sort of makeshift wooden elevator leading downward.

"Let's go down there," the Soothsayer noted with a smile. "I bet we can find all sorts of things down there - a cave, perhaps?"

Zhong's mouth went open.

There was no way.

She couldn't know.

Shen had told no one.

Why was she bringing them - there?

How the hell did she know?

"Follow me," the old goat finished with a smirk.

 **. . .**

It was genius.

Absolutely genius.

Yu pushed past the crowded streets of Gongmen - perhaps a bit irritated that it was still crowded at midnight, but later acknowledged it as evidence Shen wasn't actively too involved in the city's affairs… with any luck, he was still off fighting the Five and Po in his idiotic Factory. The moonlight was enough to swathe the red roofs and brown dirt roads with a mild reflective quality, nothing unburdened by the heavily reduced wolf guard that would usually terrorize the city.

But the real reason Yu was excited was because of the person she was following - and the conversation she had just had a few moments ago.

"Come with me if you want to find your friend."

It was only one line.

But it was enough.

It was too specific.

Yu didn't care how the man knew.

The figure in front of her - walking against the flow of the crowd and blending in perfectly due to his average height and long brown coat - had the top of his fur prickling as he made his way down the densely packed street. The bigger issue was that he had grey fur with black stripes - a sign auspiciously too close to Tai Lung's demeanor (which brought up bad memories for Yu) - but she shrugged this aside as he fixated on Alf.

Following him therefore, was difficult - but not impossible.

Yu kept up the speed, noting the crowd dissipate gradually as she followed the snow leopard into a less crowded alleyway, lined with high cement walls. It was quite narrow and tall - so the citizens naturally left it alone.

Within another few moments, Yu felt more confident - following the snow leopard alone through the narrow corridor.

"How do you know him?"

Yu stopped, seeing the blank, neutral face of the snow leopard peek through underneath his brown hood.

"How do I - " Yu paused, confused that the leopard was speaking more now. " - whaddya mean? Who are you? I mean - "

"I ask you again - what is your connection to the Seeker?" the leopard calmly reiterated.

Yu paused, narrowing her eyes. The stranger's voice was neutral and soft, but there was an underlying element of seriousness to it. Still, it made her uneasy - no less helped by the complete lack of information and length of time she had on the guy.

"I - I consider myself his friend," Yu lied, wishing she could say the truth.

The snow leopard sighed, moving closer to stare even harder at Yu. "The next series of questions I'm going to ask you is the last chance for you to find your friend. Answer them correctly - and I'll tell you where he is. If not - "

"Wait who are you?" Yu interrupted, frustrated of the redundant _I know information you don't know_ routine. "How about you start answering some of my questions? I - "

"Name Hafthor, I'm part of the Yongshi, I was sent here after our messenger scroll was activated."

Yu felt utterly baffled - for two reasons. One was the sheer volume of revelations that had been uttered in the short span of a few words, while another was the surprise that for once in her life - information was given to her with no hassle, no fighting, and no violence.

Was she dreaming?

"Um - " Yu mentioned, at a loss for words. " - um - what the - _Hafthor_? That doesn't sound like a Chinese na - "

"I am not from this land," Hafthor responded smoothly. "I come from a land called Europa."

Yu quelled her immediate excitement, rushing up to get closer to the snow leopard - she made a double take, making sure no one was around to see their conversation. Thankfully, only the concrete alleyway surrounded them.

"We've been searching for answers about Alf for nearly two years!" Yu whispered, excitement spreading. "We solved your guys' riddle! Well, I guess I did - but anyway - "

She paused. Yu just forcefully reminded herself of how much time she had spent away from Alf - and all the madness that had occurred since then. He didn't know about the Yongshi, about Shifu's arrival, about Po's - weird, suspicious new personality - she had to see him! It had begen so long since Yu had talked to him that for a moment, she was more angry at him than anything - then the fox realized he was likely still being tortured by Shen.

"Believe me, we are well aware of you and the Seekers' activities," Hafthor responded, face still unnaturally calm. "That is partially the reason why they have sent me."

"Wait wait," Yu stopped again, flooding her mind with suppressed questions. "There's more of you guys? What - what do you guys do, exactly?"

Hafthor scratched at his chin fur for a moment, turning around and pacing before continuing. "Our network is - vast. The only thing I am qualified to say is that - we watch the world's events. News. _Crises_."

"You guys _are_ some creepy cult," Yu blubbered thoughtlessly as Hafthor kept his neutral expression. "But you guys aren't bad - right?"

Hafthor remained silent.

"Never mind," Yu continued. "Do you guys - erm - have like - a leader?"

Hafthor shook his head almost immediately. "No - but - well… if the Yongshi ever had a leader - it would be Wang."

Yu paused, holding the name in her memory - trying desperately to think whether she had heard the name before.

Nothing.

"Does he know about Shen and his cannons?" Yu at once let out. "So you guys just sit back and let an entire land just tear itself apart because of a dictator!?"

"We are occupied with bigger things at the moment." Hafthor replied smoothly.

"Bigger than China?"

"Now is the time for you to answer my questions," Hafthor finished, ignoring her words. "Are you ready?"

Yu felt taken aback. Was she supposed to "ready herself" to answer some basic questions? Was Hafthor going insane?

"Whaddya mean - "

"What is his height, weight, body morphology, strange pecularities, and overall disposition?"

Yu again felt the need to laugh at the leopard's ridiculously static demeanor. "Heh - what the hell are you _on_ , bro?"

"Answer the questions, please."

Yu sighed, choosing to answer only because it felt very redundant - and because she desperately needed to know where Alf was. "Okay um - he's tallish, I guess - I mean he looks lean and well - um, well proportioned - he's charming and funny and - "

The fox felt lost in thought. Despite the fact that nearly everyone who ever encountered Alf ridiculed him for his physical features (probably because they were comparing him to some myth that never even existed) - Yu had never once found his physique or face to be unattractive. But that was the main error in dealing with extreme individuals like Alf - for everyone to focus excessively on how he looked, how tall and intimidating he should have been for a Seeker - they missed the simple guy underneath, the dude who felt very much like everyone else all the time. In fact, as far as Yu could tell - if everyone didn't so obsessively remind Alf of how different he was, the Seeker might one day actually believe himself to be - normal. Although there was certainly some sort of primal attraction she felt for him, the deeper feelings were subsieged under admiration and affection - admiration over his patience, his kindness, and most importantly - his heart. For her, everything that seemed to make Alf "different" from other folks wasn't what drew her to him - it was more with the way he carried himself, his persistence in dealing with the people's biases and judgementality, and on a more tragic level perhaps - the romanticized feelings of two outcasts bonding over how "outcasted" they were. For Yu - she had never thought of him as a Seeker.

And no one seemed to notice that.

"Peculiarities?" Hafthor continued brainlessly. "Disposition?"

The fox sighed, resuming her dialogue. "Ergh - he's been having some nightmares recently - something about some dude in a cloak - saying _evolution_ is inevitable or something - and ergh - Alf's friendly, at least to people he likes."

Hafthor looked completely still for a moment. Then:

"Thank you. Go 5000 paces outside of Gongmen's South Entrance. Take a tunnel down. You'll find your friend in a cave."

Hafthor turned to leave down the alleyway.

"Wait!" Yu called out, happy to finally get the information but even more curious all the same. "I still have more questions!"

But Hafthor had already disappeared into the crowd.

 **. . .**

In an area, there was a home. This was a home that was scenically placed and quite beautiful to look at, at least from the outside - lush grassland and tall lilies surrounding the small area, with its gentle thatched roofs and brick walls. It was by no means a rich home, but it was decent and well-presented - an oasis found seemingly in the middle of a beautiful nowhere, with nothing but vast stretches of paddy fields and grass as far as the eye could see around it. The sole occupants of the home were currently inside, and completely shielded from outside viewership - which of course, was intentional. The home didn't look like it had cared for many visitors before and judging by its fresh paint and custom layering - it was constantly kept in clean, ship-shape condition.

All of this encouraged Alf to go peeking inside.

The Seeker gently traipsed across the stone path leading forward, arriving at a medium-sized wooden door.

Alf knocked gently.

The door inched forward.

It wasn't locked.

Even more behooved to investigate now, Alf gently prodded at the swinging door until it gave him enough space to squeeze past - just getting a hint of dark torchlight reflecting into the house's interior.

He walked in.

It looked pleasant. The furniture was a kind of ornate, but still affordable kind - with dragon symbols and clouds painted over the walls and ceiling, with a high caliber rug scheme decorating the floor. The house was modest - with just three rooms - but it was enough. A gentle glance inside would reveal beds and cots positioned close to one another.

The most startling thing however - was two beds placed directly in the living room - awkward, and jutting out.

On top were two very aged, coughing silver foxes.

They were covered by a thick brown blanket, which did nothing to take away from their horrible appearance. They both held each other's hands, dangling off the edges of their beds.

A noise. Alf swiveled.

A young silver fox had just entered from a different room, brandishing a sharp knife.

Alf felt like doing something, but was compelled not to.

The young fox walked to both beds.

She quickly slit both foxes' throats.

Crying.

From all around the house.

Alf felt the walls cave in. The young fox ran out of the house.

Green mist.

 **. . .**

He was inside a different house this time. Not exactly a house - but a broken series of images. Large, flashing glances at scattered pictures came flying by as Alf wondered why his head was hurting. He was falling, at least visually - but he couldn't quite make out what the purpose of the images beside him. It almost felt like falling through a large glass box - where mirrors would come running towards him and bash him across the head. Yet the shards of glass never appeared - only minute fragments of green mist.

Alf struggled to shove his head up.

He saw a large, black, spiked cannon.

An unnecessary fear shot through him.

It compressed.

In and in.

Smaller and smaller.

It fell into his hand.

"What the hell?" Alf spoke out loud, still dodging the glass panes as they came at him from all directions.

A loop of metal coiled around his finger. Alf moved his palm.

The cannon fired green mist.

 **. . .**

He was back into the house again.

But it was different now.

It didn't even feel like the house.

Alf walked outside, letting cool moonlight bathe his raw skin. He was frighteningly unaware of his own body - and couldn't see most of it - but his vision was shaking. The world, already under darkness and nighttime - felt even colder. Alf moved forward with an adamant step, annoyed at having so much time to himself in the past few hours. The grassland was helping - or at least, it felt like it was - because he saw her within seconds of walking out into it.

Yu.

Alf rushed over to her side, chest heaving.

A large gash was left on her neck. A crimson axe was wedged into her skull. Her back was disjointed.

Alf's breaths grew more and more frightened.

"Yu!"

No answer.

"YU!"

Still nothing.

"YUUUUU!"

The grassland morphed, green mist spreading again.

The cloaked man came back.

"It was inevitable. Evolution."

 **. . .**

"YU!"

"STOP - WILL YA JUST SHUT UP FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?!"

Alf kept his eyes ferocious, waiting to see Yu's body close by.

But it wasn't there.

He focused himself. Gone was the green mist, the cloaked man, the house, the grassland, and all the mirrors. Alf struggled against his limbs as a tearing sensation began going through his body - or rather, returning to him. Sharp bursts of pain flooded his senses as he realized he was strapped down by something.

The same belts.

Alf was on the table again. Blood loss was slowly oozing out from the various gashes and cuts that had split into his body so lethargically, and the same horrid cave was present around him. The stalagmites offered little company of course, and Alf was even more shocked that he was somehow bound back to the table, and every bit as injured as he had remembered - had the voice screwed up? Had he gone back in time? Had he traveled to the wrong "dimension" - whatever the hell that meant?

A big proof of this, was the Soothsayer and the Wolf Boss standing right beside him.

"Come on kid," Zhong uttered. "Let's get you out of these things…"

The old goat watched the wolf with pride.

"Screw you," Alf noted, voice coughing out in wheezes. "You - you son of a - whaddya - did Shen send your dumb behind to come _torture_ me?"

Alf already _hated_ this timeline.

Zhong paused, frustrated. "I'm - I'm not really rolling with the peacock anymore…"

The old goat smiled a few feet away.

"Yeah right," Alf situated. "You're nothing but a piece of - what the - oh."

Zhong had already unfastened the metal straps that had pinned him down. He moved back, letting Alf observe for himself.

"What the hell?" Alf moaned, trying to sit up but feeling his body cave in under the effort. "What - what kinda game is this?"

"No game," the Soothsayer interrupted gently. "Consider this - a _new change_ in the prophecy."

"Yeah not really a big fan of prophecies," Alf coughed out. "So - what happens now? You guys gonna - gonna kill me?"

Zhong and the Soothsayer stood immediately quiet, as the Boss Wolf shook his head. Alf almost felt like the wolf had been expecting this, and the goat was calming him down about it. Reluctantly, he walked forward.

"Zhong," the Wolf Boss introduced, gently resting his grizzled palm on Alf's bloody one - as he gently pulled the latter into a sitting position. "I think I caught your name was Alf? I gotta say - it's crazy seeing an actual _Seeker_ in person… and to think I thought you were some escort…"

"Yes truly fascinating," the old goat proclaimed, walking closer to observe Alf's features. "Notwithstanding the brutality Shen has obviously put you through - you're _remarkable_."

Alf wasn't sure what the hell was happening. He desperately wanted to elbow this "Zhong" guy in the face, jump over the old goat and find the ship - maybe activating it's features would return it to a different "dimension"? The voice _had_ to have specified that.

"Screw this," Alf noted, too weak to physically attack Zhong. "I need to find the ship. I need to - "

Yet to his surprise - the ship was nowhere to be seen. Only the cave surrounded him, irking him with its cold emptiness. Alf's vision bounced off the slightly reflective rock surfaces, showing the vastness of the entire cave.

"Where the hell did the ship go?" Alf wheezed, still forced to rely on Zhong for support.

"Actually I was going to ask _you_ that," Zhong emphasized, placing another paw to steady the bleeding Seeker. "It's not even - well, it just seemed like it disappeared."

"No no no - " Alf groaned, summoning a herculean effort to stand up and get off the table as he limped around in paces. " - no. The ship - the dimensions - no… it was right here! I need it! This dimension must be different…"

" _Dimension_?" the Soothsayer worded. "What does that mean?"

"Listen I DON'T HAVE TIME TO ARGUE THIS SHIT WITH YOU GUYS!" Alf roared, feeling ferocity surge through him. "I NEED TO SAVE THE FIVE! I NEED TO GO BACK AND SAVE PO BEFORE THEY DIE IN THE FACTORY!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zhong bit in, annoyed to have the boy suddenly upset. "Your friends already destroyed the Factory like two days ago - didn't nab Shen though."

"No no no - " Alf warned. "No no they died - they all died because Shen - he - well the ship did something to alter the quantum erm - flux? I think? They all - uh…"

Alf's head was hurting again - and this time, it wasn't the blood loss.

The Soothsayer walked closer to Alf, examining him with care. "How long have you been down here, boy?"

Alf paced, trying to recollect his memories. "I - I - "

A fear was growing within him.

How did he not know how much time had been spent here?

An hour?

A day?

A week?

It felt like he was going crazy.

"I - I - I don't know…" Alf continued. "I - I just remember fighting Shen - the Tower collapsing - then this freaking cave… and the dimensions…"

"What the hell are _dimensions_?" Zhong forced, interest piquing now. "Is that some kinda Seeker word?"

"IT'S NOT A DAMN SEEKER WORD!" Alf yelled, feeling his throat seize up in emotion. "LISTEN - THAT SHIP CHANGED THE WHOLE UH - WORLD, OKAY!? TO REVERSE THE CHANGE - "

"NOTHING HAS CHANGED!" Zhong screamed back. "YOU WERE CAPTURED AND TORTURED! TWO DAYS LATER, THIS OLD GOAT CONVINCES ME TO COME HELP YOU OUT - AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?!"

"Zhong, easy," the Soothsayer forced. "The Seeker isn't - isn't right in the head. Boy - what about these dimensions were - "

Alf walked away, feeling his mind having an internal seizure. Why wasn't the voice coming back? What happened to the ship? Why was Zhong saying the Five and Po were alive - and already destroyed the Factory? Why did he not know about how long he was here?

"ALF!"

"ALF!

Two distinct voices. The rushing sounds of wind moving.

One voice was a fox's. One was a praying mantis'.

Both gave Alf a heart attack.

A joyful one.

 _WHAM._

Alf's body was crushed against an equally tall, warm frame - and its gentle silver fur with black stripes immediately identified itself as Yu. She squeezed him closer together, letting his bleeding areas soak thoughtlessly into her nice white coat - but that didn't seem to bother her at all.

And Alf was enjoying every second of it.

She pulled his head back, staring at his face in utter joy - tears running down her face.

"Oh my Scrolls…" the fox noted, voice desperately quiet. "I thought I lost you… but I found you…"

"Well technically we found him first…" Zhong noted, grinning at the equally happy Soothsayer.

Alf's head really began throbbing now. He had just spent the last few minutes having images of the same fox bleeding out, with gashes in her neck, her back broken in a grass field - and now he was being hugged?

"You look like you've seen better days."

Alf recognized the second voice immediately.

A panda's.

He mildly shifted away from Yu's gripped form, turning to see the Po and the Furious Five approach him and the table - along with -

 _Master Shifu? What the hell?_ Alf thought.

The diminutive red panda sprung up on his staff, examining the Seeker.

"Master Shifu!" Alf croaked, at a loss for words. "Um - I - what the - "

"Looks like Shen gave you a good go-over buddy," Monkey noted, mild chuckle in his features.

Alf stared shell-shocked at the all the figures surrounding him. First Shen's right hand man, then the old goat, then Yu - and now the Furious Five, Po, and Shifu were somehow being resurrected from the dead?

Alf began shaking, closing his eyes. "No no no no - no more - it has to be that freakin' green mist… where is it? Where is it…."

"Alf? Alf? What green mist?" Yu forced, scared while still hugging his body closer to hers. She flashed a dangerous glance at Zhong and the Soothsayer. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"Nothing!" the Boss Wolf defended. "We freed him! As soon as we came into this damn cave we heard him moaning - saying things in his sleep. Saying shit about some _voice_ , _dimensions_ , and needing to get back to his _time_."

"Hmmm - must have been all the torture," Viper noted, concerned as she coiled herself around Alf's leg affectionately. "Our boy looks a little worse for wear."

"IT WASN'T THAT!" Alf echoed throughout the cave, silencing everyone. "I'M NOT CRAZY! THIS IS ALL A LIE! THIS IS ALL JUST DAMN LIES!"

Alf lunged at Shifu, the closest possible victim.

He was sick of it.

Sick of the visions.

Sick of the voice.

Sick of the pain.

Sick of not knowing.

Sick of the green mist.

Sick of it all.

"ARGH!"

 _ZAP._

 _ZAP._

 _WHAP._

 _ZAP._

Alf screeched on the floor - feeling his collar go off in bursts of crackling pain. He heard concerned voices above him as he writhed in agony on the floor - all the torture over the past time seeming like _nothing_ compared to this.

But it went away.

Alf breathed deeply on the floor of the cave, blood loss intensifying with his bruises as he looked up.

Shifu had a finger up.

On the button.

The _red_ button.

 _The_ button.

"So _that's_ what that weird metal thing around the kid's neck is for…" Zhong added. "I couldn't imagine wearing that shit for two minutes…"

 _Try two years,_ Alf thought.

"I assure you, this is all very real," Shifu forced. "Judging from your attitude - and the amount of injuries you've sustained - I'm going to say you're been hallucinating things for the last few hours, if not days."

Alf growled, as he usually did whenever Shifu would do this to him.

The voice was real.

The visions were real.

He had _seen_ the Five die.

Had seen Po die.

"When I was first captured and put here," Alf snorted, standing up with a supreme effort as Yu effortlessly hugged him again. "There was a massive - metal - ship here!"

"That part is real," Zhong affirmed.

"I know you," Shifu noted, switching the topic, just now observing the newcomers. "Commander Zhong - head wolf under _Shen_. What brought you down here? Trying to set us all up?"

The Soothsayer answered for him, eyeing the Five's dangerous glares towards the Boss Wolf. "He's on a _different_ path now Shifu - and might I add - it's so _good_ to see you again. I was wondering why the Jade Palace was running around without its biggest head… glad to see you join the party."

Alf raised an eyebrow, but not surprised since all of China knew who Shifu was.

"He's defecting?" Shifu asked, wordlessly silencing the Five and Po's groans.

"She said _different_ path," Zhong growled. "Not _your_ side."

"We wouldn't _want_ you on our side anyway," Tigress interrupted suddenly. "Only Masters of the highest degree get to serve on the Jade Palace!"

Zhong growled back.

Alf raised yet another eyebrow. Tigress' voice was so harsh and unforgiving - of course, it was always like that - but this was different. It felt ancient, dormant - like the same voice she had used on Po back way back when the Dragon Warrior Tournament had started.

Her body language wasn't the same. Her face was bruised.

Interestingly, nearly everyone was bruised around him except for Zhong, the goat, and Yu.

And just now Alf realized that the only thing he could really be certain about - was that there was a big gap in his memory.

And it became increasingly more likely that the voice, the dimension-talk, the visions - were really nothing but the mind-shattered rages of a desperately tortured boy, so overwhelmed by the physical and emotional trauma that he was going through that some kind of weird "imaginary" phase had taken hold of him after.

He had never broken out.

There had been no voice.

The visions were just more nightmares.

Zhong had heard him screaming while he was stapped to the table unconscious.

So what the hell happened to the ship if it was all - not real?

"What's this about _dimensions_ and _timelines_?" Mantis asked, perching on Po's shoulder. "You sure you okay, Alf?"

Alf shrugged, looking back at Yu - still holding tightly onto him. "I - I don't give a shit, to be honest. How's about you guys start giving _me_ some answers? How'd you all find me?"

" _She_ lead me here," Zhong pointed at the grinning old goat.

"I - well - um - it's a long story," Yu pointed out, not even imaging all the information she had yet to tell Alf.

"We ran into Yu like an hour ago," Mantis noted. "She lead us here."

Alf seemed satisfied, coughing out some more remnant blood. "Okay… what else?"

Crane sighed, clenching his beak together. "Well we did it - we found and destroyed the Factory…"

"But Shen got away with most of the cannons…" Viper sadly emphasized. "We - we have to stop him, Alf. He's going to sail out of Gongmen in a few hours - hundreds of boats, stacked with cannons."

Alf put aside all the confusion and anger he had been feeling over the last span of time. He wanted to put it all on Shen.

That felt right.

"You and the fox will stay here," Shifu ordered. "Along with Zhong, and the Soothsayer."

Outcries from the Five and Yu. Shifu waved them effortlessly down.

"I've _had_ it with this _team_ doing things without my consent," Shifu ripped. "The panda brought the Seeker and the fox with him to Gongmen! You all botched an idiotic plan to go capture Shen back at the Tower! And now - now when we need it the most - we are planning this all, correctly!"

The silence continued as no one dared argue with Shifu. He took this as a sign to continue.

"The Seeker is too injured anyway to be of use to us, and the fox knows no kung fu," Shifu forced. "And regardless of any last minute moral dilemmas - I do not trust the wolf and a useless prophecy-teller…"

"Soothsayer," the goat corrected with a wink.

"... to aid us in combat," Shifu forced. "We are all moving out - now, do you all understand? And after we stop Shen - we can all discuss the _failures_ this team has been through…"

Shifu flashed a last glance towards Alf, frowning at him before walking away from the center of the group - heading towards a dim slit of light that Alf presumed lead up and out of the cave.

The Five hung back a little longer though, all collectively forming a circle around Alf to give him a quick few hugs and in Viper's case - kisses - before promising to come back and talk more. After they moved away, there was only one exception.

Po.

"What's up dude?" Alf wheezed, punching him lightly. "You usually talk a lot more! Excited to see me all beaten up, eh?"

Alf tried to smile, hoping Po would lighten up - but the panda took this very seriously.

"Dude, I wanna confess something," Po noted, annoyed. "Back when - back when you first got captured - not a lot of us thought your life was - more important than - than - well stopping Shen…"

This hurt Alf tremendously, but he struggled to keep it away. "I - I understand. I - I would have done the same thing."

An utter lie.

"And I uh - I once sorta used to blame you for everything that happened with the pandas," Po started, uneasy. "And I uh - I don't know. I guess for a while - I was just being stupid."

Alf paused, unsure of where this was going. Po was basically telling him how little he meant to him, how often he doubted him, and how he would take the word of raging lunatic peacock more than his best friend for over eight years.

It hurt. But he couldn't let that show.

"I just wanna say sorry," Po started, putting his hand on Alf's injured shoulder. "I was being a dick."

"Yeah yeah no worries man," Alf lied, watching Po smile at him. "Go - go save the world. We can talk later."

Po smiled at him one more, sprinting off to join the rest of the Five and Shifu. Alf decided to throw one last question his way.

"Dude - what's up with Tigress?"

Po sighed, ignoring the question before sighing again and sprinting away.

"Guess topic for another day…" Alf announced defeated, turning back to see Zhong and the Soothsayer creepily stare at him.

He was used to having the stares, but he wasn't used to the amount of forwardness they were doing. They were giggling too!

Was - was Shen's right hand man actually connecting with a freakin' old goat?

"Hey you," Yu smiled, punching Alf lightly in the stomach.

"Hey _you_ ," Alf returned with a broader grin. "No pun intended."

Yu grinned back, resting both her arms on his shoulders. "Dude - there's so much I have to tell you... "

But then the fox stopped.

She had it.

She had _it._

The _perfect_ opportunity.

The Five, Po, and Shifu were gone. Only two people who didn't care - Zhong and the Soothsayer - were here. The place was secluded - and presumably if she was crazy - caves could be _romantic_.

"Alf, I've been wanting to say this to you for a long time," Yu started. "I lo - "

"Speaking of which, I wanna say something to you," Alf cut across, feeling a memory burst up. "No pun intended again, hehe."

Yu looked crestfallen, but allowed the Seeker to continue.

"So I know I might have been having - well - nightmares and stuff when I was down here," Alf started. "But - but in one of them - you were there. Several, actually?"

"Oh?" Yu wondered aloud, confused. "Um - was I like - a big monster or something?"

The fox gave it a hearty laugh.

Alf shook his head, tone grave and serious. "No - I mean - I saw this young fox…"

Yu continued her gaze at him.

"... she had this knife in her hands, in this thatched roof house and two - I guess - her parents were lying down beside her…"

Yu's face remained expressionless.

"... was that you?"

The fox breathed heavily, pursing her lips. She stared at Alf for a good five seconds.

Tears rolled down her face.

"I'm sorry…" Yu bit, feeling all the emotions she was about to say to him submerge under years of repressed memory stores. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

She sprinted away - heading out of the cave.

"Wait!" Alf called, genuinely confused. "Yu! Come back!"

But it was to no avail, as the fox jumped back up the rocky formations that spiraled out of the cave and into the narrow stream of light.

Zhong and the Soothsayer watched with tired expressions.

Alf turned to them. "What did I say?"

Zhong chuckled. "I'm not even a Soothsayer - but I'm predicting that you are one stupid bastard."

Alf felt insulted.

"I _am_ a Soothsayer," the old goat responded, stroking her chin. "And I can confirm that based on what I just saw - Seekers really are kinda stupid."

Alf frowned. The Soothsayer and Zhong burst into laughter.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Wooooo weeee! Finally a big chapter completed! Warning: only 4 more chapters left to go in KFP 2! Then KFP 3!_

 _And yes - I hope this chapter starts even more speculation! Very detail heavy…_

 _Tired after writing this, so I'll spare the lengthy notes._

 _I love you guys. You make it all worth it._

 _~TW_


	32. KFP 2:15

" **For China (I)"**

* * *

The layout of Gongmen was a predominantly sea-preferred one. The center parts of the city were inevitably packed urban areas with paved roads and large, red roofs set atop tall buildings - and the usual hustle and bustle of hundreds of citizens as they made their way across the densely crowded area. The outside of Gongmen - particularly the portion near the docks - was more sea-faring, with an abundance of water canals that ran right through the outskirts of the city, splitting bridges and cleaving streets into aesthetically beautiful architecture. Indeed, the outskirts of Gongmen - was a truly beautiful blend of nature and architecture coming together, as peaceful streams of water canals ran underneath exquisitely designed bridges - the entire city water system gracefully running through the outskirts and into the outside sea - connecting to the rest of China.

And the last part was pretty much all that Shen cared about.

"Fire." he commanded, urging a young wolf to trigger a cannon atop his head ship.

 _TSK._

 _BOOM._

"ARGH!"

"YOU MONSTER!"

The people protested obviously, as their bridges and homes - anything that really obstructed the water canal which lead out of the city - were being blown apart. Cannonfire also managed to injure everyone on the bridges or in the way - again, nothing that made Shen lose sleep. And under the starry, moonlit sky with an entire army of ships behind his own - the peacock felt at ease, drifting gracefully through the canal whilst destroying anything that got in his way.

As he always had.

Since the beginning.

He stood atop the front head of his large commander ship, watching at least twenty ships follow behind him - all packed with the cannons, spare blueprints that he had stolen from the cave, and a barrage of black powder hidden deep within the ship's stores. The fleet drifted gently forward - in sharp contrast to the rest of Gongmen - bridges destroyed, citizens injured, and its people screaming.

"You're a _freak_."

Shen smiled, turning back to see a silver grey fox strapped to the last mast - heavily tied by thick ropes.

"I am a _revolutionary_ ," Shen noted. "But even this - wanton destruction - couldn't compare to the joy of seeing little _Yu-yu_ back in my _eyes_."

Yu growled savagely. "You - you ambushed me outside the city and - ergh - just unbind me and watch what I'll do to you…"

The fox snarled, extending her paws forward - but stopping two inches away from Shen's face, ropes holding her back.

"You seemed quite upset, _Yu-yu_ ," Shen continued, gleefully. "What is more upsetting - seeing this waste of a city die as I sail off to conquer China? Or - "

Yu gritted her teeth, hating the words.

"Is it seeing dear old _uncle_ back in the flesh?" Shen smoothly delivered.

Yu screamed.

 **. . .**

"Tigress?"

"Yes, Dragon Warrior?"

Po sighed. "Can we talk?"

Po lightly nudged the master aside from the rest of the Five and Shifu. They were on a rooftop so there was certainly enough space - and the moonlight was making it easy to find a path to separate himself from everyone.

Tigress traveled alongside Po, waiting until they were a safe distance away. "Was the plan not clear? We wait for Shen and his army to come into view, then we do a surprise att - "

"Not that, jeez," Po warned, frustrated. "Can we please talk about last night?"

Tigress nodded her head slowly, but pursed her lips and turned away from him. "Nothing to talk about."

" _Yes_ there is," Po forced, staring right into her reluctant gaze. "I said I love you."

Tigress merely shrugged this off, yawning before cracking her knuckles. She flashed a glance at Shifu and the rest of the Five a little ways away, happy that they were preoccupied with looking out for Shen.

"So?" Tigress answered.

Po raised an eyebrow. "So - the hell you mean - _so_?"

"So what?" Tigress replied.

Po bit his tongue, melancholy giving way to anger. "That's how you're answering - just so? Not a yes or no?"

"Yes or no to _what_?" Tigress queried in irritation.

"Jeez you're making this _way_ harder than it needs to be," Po forced, frustrated himself. "I say I love you. And then you just - brush me off."

"I didn't brush off _anything_ ," Tigress fired back harshly. "You said you love me. What am I supposed to say back?"

"I don't know!" Po acquired in fury. "Yes! No! Gimme something other than just - just - "

"JUST WHAT?!" Tigress roared, threatening to attract attention from the Five and Shifu. "YOU WANT ME TO SAY IT BACK OR SOMETHING?!"

Po smiled awkwardly as Shifu glared at him. Soon, him and the Five were back to watching out for Shen.

"You know what?" Po spat, tears collecting in his eyes. "Screw this. Go look out for Shen like the good _daughter_ you are."

This was completely unnecessary - and Po felt how unnecessary it was as Tigress breathed out hot gusts of air from her nostrils. And if he was an astute individual - he was not - he might have noticed a trickle of moisture just run down Tigress' cheek as well.

"Keep on guard, _Dragon Warrior_ ," Tigress declared savagely, stressing every last syllable of the title.

She moved away in a huff, wrapping her arms around herself to keep away from the bitter chill of night time.

Po swallowed, brushing a few tears away from his face. A great part of him wanted to blame this all on Shifu - just savagely hurt him for everything he had been putting Tigress through, the stupidity with which he dealt with his only daughter - but another part of him found Shen equally culpable, as he had been responsible for the initial downward spiral that allowed Shifu to compound years of emotional abuse into her during one moment. And another side of Po - an even more vindictive side - wanted to blame Tigress for merely putting up with all this: for being too cowardly to fight back against Shifu, for letting things get to her, for never truly getting past him being the Dragon Warrior…

...and the last part of the panda criticized himself, for not seeing it all coming.

She was Master Tigress.

He was just Po.

Maybe it wasn't meant to be.

"PO! HE'S HERE!"

 _That_ trumped everything else.

The panda rushed to the rest of the Five, watching Shifu point out in the distance. They were on a rooftop, and had been treated to a sky view of scenic bridges and Gongmen's water canal which ran underneath and connected to the ocean… but this sight was horrifying.

In the distance, and making their way towards them - the peacock stood atop his large boat, outfitted with multiple cannons as they surged through the water. He was followed by at least twenty warships - all outfitted with the same number of cannons.

Just then Po realized how serious this was.

They were the only hope that China wouldn't fall.

"Listen to me," Shifu whispered, keeping an eye on Shen and the ships. "This is it. We must stop him now - or else - China as know it, could come to an end. Everyone know their parts?"

Resilient and furious nods from the Five and Po.

"Po, have you mastered inner peace yet?" Shifu queried.

The panda felt completely shocked. All the events of the previous week had all but blocked out any hopes of even thinking about it. He was wondering if it was _ever_ possible to get back to practicing it - considering how dark the panda revelation had been.

"Yep!" the panda cheerfully lied, trying to divert attention.

"Good," Shifu mentioned. "Wait a moment - who - who is that on the mast?"

"Prisoner?" Mantis called out, just seeing the individual strapped to the mast of Shen's head boat.

"By the Scrolls…" Monkey let out. "It's Yu."

Po stared slack jawed.

 **. . .**

"Whaddya mean I'm an idiot?"

"You are - by far - the dumbest Seeker I have ever met - and you're the only one I've met."

It had been a while since the Five, Po and Shifu had left. Alf found himself in the unusual position of _not_ fighting alongside them for possibly the biggest fight in all of China - and also being present in a random, dark, massive cave with an old goat and Shen's former commander - and none of it made any sense to him. Still, this didn't stop him from instantly starting up a conversation with the morose yet patient Zhong - who was as forthcoming as Alf was patient.

So not very.

Irritable as well - this had been the second time he had called Alf an idiot - as soon as he had brought up Yu. Zhong was decently approachable however - but whether that was because of perhaps the pity he felt over Alf's still half-healed injuries, or just because he seemed done with life - the Seeker could not know.

A fair bit of their previous conversation had been dedicated to figuring out exactly why the ship - which they both agreed must have existed at one point - was completely gone. According to Zhong, the only other person who know about the ship's existence was Shen (and the Soothsayer, but she didn't care about the matter) - so it was a bit ludicrous to try and figure out where it had "gone". The past few minutes had Alf questioning everything he had experienced over the past few hours, or even days - it had all felt so real, the voice had the same voice that the masked man had in his nightmares, and had even affirmed himself as a Seeker! And yet - the more and more he had noted - he didn't even feel all the "dimensions" clicking - neither moving… so it became increasingly likely that he had been subject to an extend, horrible nightmare onset by heavy trauma.

Alf still had his doubts. But for now - as Shifu had so painfully pointed out - this was definitely real.

He would examine the "dimensions" nonsense another time.

"What the hell is she doing that for?" Alf whispered with a cough.

Alf growled at Zhong, leaning against the cave wall as his eyes idly scanned away and looked at the large rock formations bordering the edges of the cave. He also found the Soothsayer walking around the large expanse of rocky terrain, moving her hands in mystical motions.

Zhong grinned beside him, also leaning against the cave wall. "I dunno man - she does that occasionally."

Alf smiled, looking back at Zhong's features. The wolf's features were still middle-aged and powerful, with sharp ridges and defined edges - but there was also an element of tired boredom there, a deep-seated frustration that Alf couldn't quite pinpoint.

"You really can't get that off, can you?" Zhong asked suddenly.

Alf gasped, feeling his collar once again. A part of him felt sad - because as Zhong was still new to it, he might have not known that it had been on Alf for so long - he had very much forgotten about it. In true form, Alf would only get reminded of the collar's painful tenacity and harshness anytime Shifu was close - but other times, he had merely accepted its place on his neck - a seemingly unnatural yet normal extension of his body that Alf had acclimatized his spirit to.

He wondered if that was a bad sign. He changed the conversation.

"So - what made you jump ship?" the Seeker asked.

Zhong sighed, staring at the rocky ceiling. "I dunno man. It's all been building up."

Alf stared back at him, unsatisfied with the response. To his surprise, Zhong stared right back - a mild, slack-jawed expression running through him. The Wolf Boss even straightened his vision to inspect Alf closer.

"What's been building up?" Alf queried. "And could you stop staring at me like that? Kinda creepy."

Zhong gave a hearty laugh then apologized. "Sorry man - just weird to seeing an actual _Seeker_ around… still kinda trippy…"

"Answer the question."

"Why did I quit serving under Shen?" Zhong returned suddenly, irritated. "It got old. The killing, the hiding of bodies, the stealing…"

Alf pursed his lips. "Heh - you didn't seem too affected by it back at the _Tower_."

Zhong growled. "You don't know how it is, alright?"

Alf frowned. "How _what_ is?"

"How _my life_ was," Zhong forced, shaking his head. "You don't know about who Shen was. You don't know how I knew the guy. You haven't seen all the - all the shit he's had me do…"

Alf snorted. "Like I said - didn't seem to bother you back at the Tower…"

"Well it bothers me now," Zhong replied, looking back at the meditating Soothsayer in the distance. "Maybe it's the goat. Maybe it's fate."

"Ugh," Alf noted, mimicking disgust. "I _hate_ that damn word."

"Join the club," Zhong responded.

The Soothsayer continued her meditative stances a distance away. Alf chuckled as she lost her footing a bit, clearly tumbling before fixing her stance as she realized the wolf and the Seeker were still watching her.

"Worst part about it? I got no idea what I should do now," Zhong motioned. "You spend your whole life around one thing - one guy - and then you abandon him then - then - ugh."

Alf could sense the Wolf Boss was going through a fair bit of turmoil. He would have like to have helped - especially considering he was extraordinarily somehow peaceful with Alf now - but his mind wandered to the _original_ conversation they had, before he had been distracted by the Soothsayer's amazing acrobatics.

Yet he persisted.

"You could always run away," Alf suggested.

"Yeah, that's probably what I'll end up doing," Zhong emphasized. "Leave this old goat behind. I got a spot way off in Mongolia - in mountains and shit - that'll be good to live out the rest of my days."

"Alone?" Alf asked casually.

"Hell yeah alone," Zhong noted. "I'm a disgraced former soldier and I've got next to nothing to my name. You think Shen'll take me back? After how long I've abandoned him?"

"He probably thinks you're dead," Alf concluded. "Besides - Shen's not gonna be _able_ to take you back since he's gonna spend the rest of his life in _prison_. Courtesy of the Jade Palace."

"Heh," Zhong guffawed in amusement. "You keep believing that fairy tale. And even if your dumbass friends manage to take him out - there's not gonna be a single guard patrol in China that'll hire me."

"You have _skills_ ," Alf suggested awkwardly, confused as to why he was being empathetic towards him.

"Like what?" Zhong asked, confused. "Killing? Stealing? I don't have any formal training, kid… self-taught. And even if I did learn something… everyone in China knows Shen. Knows my ugly mug. No one'll hire me."

"So that's the plan, eh?" Alf finished, disappointed. "Go hide out in a mountain somewhere. Starve to death."

"I got a little farm up there," Zhong corrected with a glower. "It'll keep me alive until I eventually grow old and rot, and then thank the Scrolls - leave this damn life behind. Maybe the next'll be better."

Alf found this statement so needlessly cynical that an involuntary chuckle came out. He brushed past it, smiling. "Oh man - you're a real downer yanno?"

"If you had the life I've had," Zhong forced, lost in memories again. "You'd know why."

Alf sensed a moment of hesitation, perhaps even sadness - coming from the older Boss Wolf. He decided to change the subject.

"So - whaddya mean I'm an idiot?" Alf questioned.

Zhong snorted, shaking his head but seemed happy to change the subject. "That _girl's_ got it so _in_ for you."

"What girl?" Alf asked, confused.

"Like I said - you're an idiot," Zhong noted. "Thanks for proving my point."

"What. Girl?" Alf spat.

"That _fox_ ," Zhong noted, unbuttoning a cap on a bottle nearby - taking a powerful swig of the stuff. "Want some?"

"I don't drink," Alf immediately refused. "Doesn't work so well with my _fleshling_ components…"

Alf immediately understood what Zhong was saying. " _Yu?_ "

Zhong took another swig. "Yup. Whatever you call her."

Alf began an uproarious laugh. "DUDE! COME ON!"

Zhong resumed his drinking, shaking his head. "Don't understand what's so funny…"

Alf kept up the obnoxious laugh. "REALLY? HER? DUDE…"

Zhong growled. "Stop calling me dude, and yeah - thanks again for proving my point about you being a moron."

Alf was getting increasingly angry at Zhong's disrespectful tone. "Stop calling me a moron."

"Moron," Zhong muttered, clearly well-drunk now. "Moron, moron, moron…"

"Shut. Up."

"Can't even see all the signs," Zhong continued.

Alf sighed, a bit of laughter still creeping up. "Signs - heh - what signs?"

"The way she _hugged_ you when she found you," Zhong forced. "The way she looked at you when she was _hugging_ you. Hell - I've known her for about five minutes - and you can't tell…"

"She's not interested in me," Alf cut across immediately. "No one would be."

"The hell?" Zhong uttered, taking another large sip. "What makes you say that?"

"Look at me!" Alf let out, cackling with disbelief. "I think it's probably a - a crime under Chinese law to be attracted to me!"

Zhong sniffled, brushing it off. "The heart wants what it wants."

Alf kept a glare at Zhong.

It wasn't that he wasn't a fan of being around Yu - it was that he deeply hated over-involving himself in someone. Even back when they had first met, and he was trying to prod at her history before coming to the Valley of Peace - she had been remarkably closed off and hostile, just as she had been a few minutes ago after Alf had asked a simple question. Furthermore, Alf found it highly suspicious that Yu - perhaps the most beautiful, smartest person he had ever known - would go for someone who literally was thought to be a walking hate crime against all of China. Having friends was odd enough - especially for a Seeker - but to have someone who… who loved him? Who was - _interested_ \- in him?

It was a lie.

It had to be.

There was no way.

"I think you're full of shit," Alf pronounced confidently.

"Think whatever the hell you want, to be honest," Zhong forced, standing up suddenly before taking another swig of his drink. "I don't give a _crap_ about it. Doesn't affect me…"

The Boss Wolf began walking away.

"Where you going?" Alf called out, watching him walk to the Soothsayer.

Zhong paused in his step, admiring the black rock surface underneath him. "Away from here. My place in Mongolia. I don't know."

He paused, sighing deeply. "It doesn't matter. I'm done. I'm out."

Zhong turned back, nodding at Alf briefly. "Nice talking to ya kid. Have a great life."

Alf watched him meet with the still meditating Soothsayer. They exchanged a few words in the distance, and to the Seeker's great surprise - Zhong actually shook paws with the old goat before proceeding away from her. Intrigued, Alf began in pursuit - first he thought to go after Zhong, but after realizing an easier solution - he walked over to the old goat instead. The Boss Wolf was already nearing at the edge of the cave, beginning to stuff some of his spare wine bottles into a makeshift knapsack.

"What's he gonna do?" Alf asked.

The old goat smiled, watching Zhong pack in the distance. "What he _thinks_ is right. Running away."

"You're not gonna stop him?" Alf questioned. "You two seem pretty - chummy?"

The Soothsayer gently smirked at Alf. "It's not my destiny to stop him. That fate lies with _you_."

Alf snorted. "You know - I hate that word."

"I'd expect nothing less," the old goat proclaimed, studying Alf carefully. "You feel like it's restrictive. Demeaning. Disempowering."

"Yes," Alf started. "Wait - yes! How'd ya know that?"

The old goat shook her head. "Even in a city very far from the Valley of Peace - like Gongmen - we heard the rumors too."

"What rumors?"

"A creature, with no fur, nor tails, nor claws," the old goat recollected. "Upright and moderately tall. Peculiar face."

Alf didn't know whether to feel impressed or insulted.

"But I must say," the Soothsayer emphasized. "It's truly _nothing_ compared to seeing the _real_ thing."

She smiled at him. "For once in my life - I really have no idea what to make of _your_ destiny."

Alf raised an eyebrow. "Whaddya mean?"

"The panda is destined to stop Shen," the goat commented. "The wolf is destined to choose a different path. Shifu was destined to become the Grandmaster of the Valley…"

"You foretold Oogway's death?" Alf asked curiously. "You knew he would - "

"Yes," the Soothsayer finished. "But - in all my years reading, and studying, and understanding the universe - I have never found a person whose destiny I have no idea about! Your mere existence seems to break all the laws of fortune telling…"

Alf chuckled. "Yeah - yeah I tend to have that effect…"

He looked back at the old goat, who kept up her furious smile. "So what? You saying I'm not destined for anything?"

She sadly shook her head. "I'm saying that _what_ you're destined for - will be determined by the paths _you_ choose."

Alf kept silent.

"So choose wisely," the Soothsayer started, leaning in. "Follow your heart - what does it say?"

"I dunno what the hell it says," Alf mimicked, annoyed. "I dunno. Confusion. Anger. Bored. Sad that I can't fight alongside the Five."

"What about the fox?"

Alf swiveled his head like a pivot, fixating on the old goat as she scratched her beard. "What? How'd you…"

He paused, realizing the answer quickly. "Right - Soothsayer - you know that gets annoying, right?"

She giggled. "So I've been told."

"So whaddya think?" Alf asked, heart racing now. "You - you - you uh - think maybe, she's - she could be - in to me?"

His heart was practically pounding out of his chest. Never in a million years - perhaps even a year ago, or a few minutes ago - would he ever be entertaining such a ridiculous thought. After he had gotten his dosage of the Valley's citizens when he was younger, Alf had merely assumed that was to be his _life_ from now on - in isolation, kept away from others, with extremely few social connections, and zero possibility of anything more. So - it didn't really strike Alf at first because he had always assumed that all the "signs" that Zhong was talking about was nothing more than just friendship signaling - he couldn't imagine that at any point on time, an actual creature would show even an inkling of interest into what he was. Alf had learned to zero his expectations - it was the only way to prevent from getting hurt. So by doing this - believing in the _signs_ \- thinking that Yu could, in some crazy "dimension" perhaps - ever be interested in him… that _hope_ itself could have been enough.

"I'm a _Seeker_ ," Alf let out, frustrated at the goat's unresponsiveness. "I - I'm - ugh."

She grinned at him. "That's not the way the fox thinks of you. She sees you for what you really are."

"Whaddya mean what I _really_ am?" Alf queried, finding it laughable. "It's pretty difficult _not_ to notice that I'm a fleshie…"

The Soothsayer merely blinked, walking closer to tap Alf on the shoulder with a horn. "Why don't you go - and _ask_ her? Ask her _exactly_ what she thinks of you. Of - of what _you_ mean to her?"

For some reason, this did the trick for Alf.

It was no longer about finding about how ludicrous his idea was.

It was no longer about himself.

It was about Yu.

About what she thought about him.

And for some reason - that made the job easier. It turned it from a question from apprehension and fear into - curiosity. Affection.

Maybe even love.

"You - you - " Alf started, knowing immediately what he had to do. "You're really smart, yanno?"

The Soothsayer smiled again. "Here's the thing my young friend - we don't choose how we start in this life. True greatness? It's what you _do_ with what you're _given_."

Alf let these words sink in, feeling his heart and mind unite.

"... and even though it may not seem like it - you've been given something. Use it."

Alf felt his heart soar.

It was enough.

It was more than enough.

It was something he had never expected.

"Wait - " Alf asked, confused but anxious. "How will I know it's the right moment? How will I know when to - when to ask her?"

The Soothsayer shook her head again. "There _is no perfect moment_. You have to _make_ it perfect."

He began running to Zhong, another simultaneous idea already forming in his head. He could practically _feel_ the Soothsayer grinning behind him, resuming her usual meditative stances.

Alf felt his heart literally do flips.

It was a kind of optimism he had never felt before.

He felt endless.

Limitless.

"Boy."

Alf turned back, staring at the Soothsayer. "What?"

The old goat snickered. "Use _everything_ to your advantage. Even your dreams."

Alf narrowed his eyes at her. "What does that mean?"

The old goat smiled back. "You'll know - when the time is right."

Alf nodded slowly, not understanding but trusting that later on - he would comprehend. For now - he had to focus on Zhong.

"HEY DUDE! HEY MAN! WAIT UP!"

Zhong growled, still packing more wine bottles as Alf caught up to him on the other side of the cave. "Don't call me that shit man…"

"Hey, I just wanna say something, okay?" Alf moved closer to the wolf.

Zhong sighed, letting him speak.

"Listen - I know I don't know the full story about you, okay?" Alf started. "I know I don't know how hard it must have been. How you probably knew Shen for a long time. How - how sometimes it feels all really damn confusing - trust me, I know."

Alf paused, hoping Zhong wouldn't interrupt him - and he didn't. "But listen - we can always, _always_ choose to do something different. Choose to - _try_ something."

Zhong frowned. "You don't know how it's been, alright? You don't know how it is - how it was to be ostracized, hated - I mean wolves at one point were some of the most hated creatures on this rock - and to have all that hatred manipulated, and your loyalty screwed with…"

Then Zhong realized who he was talking to.

"If there's _anyone_ who knows that feeling," Alf started. "It's me. Trust me."

Zhong nodded, clearly but subtly agreeing.

"Uh - you ever think of joining the Jade Palace?" Alf queried.

"HAHAHAH!" Zhong laughed off harshly. "THIS KID'S GOT JOKES! HEY GOAT - THE KID'S GOT JOKES!"

The Soothsayer merely continued her poses in peace a distance away.

"Listen I mean - if Shifu let _me_ in," Alf forced. "I'm sure he'll - he'll at least _think_ about letting you too."

"Yeah that _is_ pretty stupid of him," Zhong immediately insulted harshly. "Not only to let a Seeker in - but the same fleshie who broke Tai Lung - _the_ Tai Lung - out of Chor-Gom? That's real stupidity… how'd he take ya in after that?"

Alf sighed, wishing he had more time to explain _that_ fiasco later. "It - it doesn't matter, alright? Just - just promise me you'll think it over."

Zhong huffed. "I mean - if it'll shut you up and get you to leave me alone… then hell yeah."

Alf smiled, accepting this reply. He already began the jaunt heading out of the cave - optimism shoving him forward.

Alf turned back for just a brief second. "I believe in you man - I - I know it can be hard - but you gotta find that courage to believe in yourself too."

Zhong snickered. "Yeah - yeah story of my life. Everyone except me - believing in me. Shen, this old goat - you… everyone seems to - seems to think I can _do_ things. Be someone I don't even think I can."

Alf smiled, thinking of Yu - thinking and fantasizing of how she felt about him. "I know how that feels too."

Alf sprinted away again.

"HEY!" Zhong called out behind him. "WHADDYA GONNA DO?!"

"I'M GONNA SAVE MY FRIENDS! THEN I'M GONNA KISS MY GIRLFRIEND!"

 **. . .**

"ARGH!"

"ERGH!"

"AHHH!"

"NO!"

 _BAM._

 _WOOSH._

 _CRACK._

 _THUD._

Po was breathing heavily. By perhaps the worst luck in the world - Shen had seen their attack coming from a mile away. The bigger issue was that as soon as he had discovered them on the roof, he had instructed his wolf soldiers to begin fire immediately - which meant the formerly ornate roof had been obliterated by hordes of tunneling, flaming metal cannon shots. The Five, Po and Shifu had reacted fairly well however - quickly leaping down to the ground level of Gongmen City - right at the outskirts. Landing on Shen's commander warship however - had been a terrible mistake.

The peacock had been ready for them.

 _CRACK._

 _BOOM._

 _SLASH._

 _THUD_.

"NO!"

Cannon shots. The onslaught of hundreds of wolf soldiers as they made rope bridges connecting the rest of the ships together - traversing them with a variety of artillery and weapons. As soon as Po, the Five and Shifu had managed to land onto Shen's ship - the peacock had gracefully retreated, and taken Yu along with him - the fox struggled as hard as she could, but they both effortlessly flew a few ships back - leaving the wolf army to gradually overwhelm the new arrivals.

Which was inevitably happening.

"ARGH!"

Po ducked, watching Tigress get launched back from a powerful kick from a wolf soldier. She tumbled next to him, as the rest of the Five and Shifu - all bearing significant injuries themselves - rallied around the panda.

The wolf soldiers started approaching, smiles already betraying their confidence.

"There's too many, ergh," Viper observed, keeping her tail coiled. "We lost the element of surprise…"

"And Yu…" Monkey concluded, watching the fox struggle against the peacock's grip nearly four ships away.

Po looked around, grimacing at the tired states of his comrades. The citizens who were watching - even though they stood at a safe distance on the docks, or bridges surrounding the water channel where all the action was - kept their heads down and submissive, perhaps fearing that nothing could be done at this point.

"We _need_ to get Yu first," Po forced. "Regroup later. Maybe we can attack them before - "

"The _fox_ is not a priority now," Shifu cut across arrogantly, coughing out blood. "We will _never_ be able to stop them if they reach the open waters. We do this _now!_ "

"How?" Po breathed, tired. "There's _hundreds of them_. On _each_ ship."

"And there's so many ships…" Mantis breathed, wheezing as he relaxed against Crane's clawed feet.

Po groaned, watching the wolves close the distance between them. They were taking their time now, satisfied that the supposed legendary _Jade Palace_ was completely and utterly unable to handle them - but this didn't stop Shen from encouraging their marches forward on his lead ship, forcing the Five, Po and Shifu to retreat to the very edge of the large boat.

The wolves were just a few seconds away from reaching the rest of them.

"We can't fight them all," Crane croaked, bleeding. "There's too many!"

The wolves began assembling, apparently at Shen's command. Po watched the peacock subdue Yu and tie her against the mast of the ship he was on - before making his way back to his own warship - striding across the rope bridges with endless grace.

The wolves parted, revealing a large metal cannon.

Pointed directly at them.

" _Inner_ peace, Dragon Warrior," Shifu forced, groaning. "If there was ever a time to use it - ergh - _please_ Po."

Po gasped, feeling the urgency of the situation. The Five watched him nervously as Shifu kept up his hopeful stare at Po - breathing heavily. The cannon was almost ignited, but Shen landed atop it and stared at the rest of the group with a bit of sadness - but also triumphant self affirmation.

"I'm _not_ fond of cruelty," Shen noted, smiling. "I give you people this one chance - _join me._ Help me _liberate_ China from the oppressors who hold it down…"

"That's - ergh - that's what you think of yourself?" Shifu coughed out, leaning on his ceremonial staff as he eyed the wolves and Shen dangerously. "A revolutionary? Heh - we, we - we will _never_ bow to you."

"What about you, panda?" Shen asked, sly smile showing. "Still upset over the whole _genocide_ of your race thing? I told you - it was nothing personal."

Po growled, feeling the same memories: the red tattoo, his parents, the crying - everything began popping into view. "You - you kill my parents - you kill my people - and you say it isn't personal? Screw you."

"Hmmm," Shen vocalized, a bit disappointed. "Oh well… blow them to _bits_."

The wolves eagerly began igniting the cannon, lighting a few sparks of light. The fuse began to slowly burn away, creeping into the metal hull of the cannon.

"Po," Shifu begged, tugging at the panda's waistband. " _Please_. You're the Dragon Warrior - do it _now_."

The panda watched around him, anxiety shooting up like never before. It wasn't like Tai Lung - there was no safety net, no way to defeat the threat unless he performed. Unless he did what Shifu, what the Five, what all the dumb prophecies in the world said he could do.

Yu was four boats away, crying.

The Five were next to him, bleeding.

Shifu was at his legs, begging.

He had to.

There was no other way.

The fuse ran even deeper into the hull.

Po ignored the Five. He ignored Shifu. He ignored Yu. He ignored the cannon, the citizens watching, the peacock, the army of wolves, the sounds around him, the sky, the smells, the feelings he had in his heart - everything.

He breathed deeply.

He trusted in himself.

Trusted in what his father - the father he had always known - had said to him.

"There _is_ no secret ingredient," Po started, waving his arms around in perfect motion. "There is no secret…"

Po felt something go through him.

It felt bright.

Happy.

At ease.

Dare he say it - peaceful?

He opened his eyes.

The fuse had run out.

An explosion of fire.

A flaming metal ball came hurdling towards him - towards the Five - towards Shifu.

Po felt the energy flow into his paws.

It was something.

He had to be.

Memories flashed by him.

" _Whaddya mean - you want me to say it back to you?"_

 _Her face._

 _HER face._

 _Tigress._

 _The coldness with which she had said that._

Po felt the energy drip away - practically leak out of his paws.

He breathed in.

He felt uneasy.

Unsure.

 _Her._

 _Her._

 _Her._

 _Tigress._

 _Tigress._

 _Her face._

 _The coldness._

 _The disappointment._

Po began shaking. The feeling was gone. The fireball was seconds away.

And it hit.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _IT'S ALL LEADING SOMEWHERE - TRUST ME. :D_

 _Ahhhh… another chapter that brings us closer to the end! Just three more chapters left in KFP 2! (to be clear, it won't end after that - this fic is going to go on for much, MUCH longer - like KFP 3 + my own little - eh, twist? heheehhe…) And another big hint - my climaxes are usually just two chapters long, followed by two chapters to "de-escalate" and resolve long-standing plotlines... And this is already the first part of the climax... so - it all goes down next chapter! Speculate as you wish - I really wanna see how people think this'll turn out.  
_

 _And yes - I've foreshadowed it. :)_

 _And for anyone wondering how all these plotlines, complex storylines, and overall pointless bullsh - will get resolved in just three chapters - it won't. It'll be greatly simplified however, as per usual when I get to the "ending" stages of my "arcs" like KFP 1, KFP 2 - so bear with it for a while! It's all leading somewhere - and I hope the payoffs will be BIG._

 _A few notes:_

 _1\. Yu is related to Shen. Somehow. Not revealing the backstory behind this at all (yet anyway) - but I hope it was a pleasant and weird surprise to people. This kinda thing very mildly foreshadowed, so yes - hope it's surprising to everyone! (yes I know a peacock is scientifically different from a fox - but wait for the backstory in time, hehe...) I think after you eventually learn the backstory though - you might get an "aha!" moment.  
_

 _2\. Zhong and the Soothsayer is an extraordinary relationship and set of characters that I love writing about. There's a lot of depth to them and potential for growth - and just from this chapter, I hope you can sorta foreshadow some things to come into the future? Alf and Zhong connect on many levels - and I really wanted this chapter to show a lot of similar struggles they've gone through!  
_

 _3\. More than anything, I wanted the Jade Palace to again feel on the defensive for a while. I find the whole "Po gets shot by the cannon" then comes back from the "dead" thing in the Factory to be sorta laughable - I mean, it's cool and all, but with my story and Shifu coming in so early - I doubt that would have made sense… plus Shen's smart! I feel he would be the one a few steps ahead - not the Jade Palace._

 _4\. Alf finally figured out Yu's feelings around him! But Yu is related to Shen? WUT. What will Alf do now? I mean - what Alf does best. ;) Again, look for clues in this chapter if ya feeling anxious hehe._

 _Your speculations make me giddy. Your comments are intriguing. Support is incredible. :D_

 _WE'RE NEAR THE END OF KFP 2! IM EXCITED! :)))))_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Thanks again to everyone who loves follows these kinds of branching, complex storylines. I know it's a hassle and I know some parts may drag - but I really appreciate all the support. KFP 3 will be simpler! (But just as intriguing and complex, and with even bigger stakes/scales - if that makes sense?)_


	33. KFP 2:16

" **For China (II)"**

* * *

Alf was running hard.

Something about the Soothsayer's words had ignited him into action - not so much what she had said, but the way in which she said it - especially when combined with the words of Zhong and Alf's own thoughts. It had all been enough at least, to make the already half-healed Seeker climb out of the rocky cave, traverse a nearly endless flight of rocky footholds until finally coming out. Alf had spent exactly five minutes just waiting outside, overjoyed to be out of the cave - and breathe in cold, fresh air with moonlight streaking down, as well as let his injured fingers run over the thick grass and wild lilies around him. He was even more satisfied to see Gongmen not too far off, and had flashed a last look at the cave - thinking of the ship, the voices, the "dimensions", and the prophecies - the visions.

He couldn't focus on it now.

He had bigger things to do.

He was already in the city now.

Alf sprinted past rushing citizens, frustrated by the enormous crowd seemingly moving in one direction - most curiously, past a series of explosions happening at the other edge of Gongmen. The Seeker noted that this seemed close to the large water canal running at the edge of the city - and perhaps the only sea-worthy way to reach the ocean directly from Gongmen. The people themselves were mostly Gongmen's inhabitants - sheeps and pigs - but there was the lone wolf or rhino running away also.

The city was falling into chaos.

"MOVE!" Alf shouted, jumbling past citizens. "MOVE! MOVE!"

The really interesting thing was that he had elected to go out without his mask, without the black jumpsuit, or really any disguise whatsoever - so nearly _everyone_ who was running away from the explosions - took the time to stop in their tracks, gaze shell-shocked at a Seeker, with a metal collar, running through the city - then proceed with running away.

At this point, Alf didn't care who saw him. The secret had been out since the Tower collapse.

"MOVE MOVE!"

Alf was growing fearful as well. The vast amount of explosions meant that many of the cannons were still operational - which meant that Po, the Five and Shifu had largely failed to defeat Shen yet.

It would be utter suicide for Alf to go in like this as well.

If the Po, the Five, and Shifu couldn't do it - what chance did he have?

Yet he kept running.

 _He has an ARMY of soldiers AND cannons,_ Alf thought. _I'm just one me._

He was desperate that the Soothsayer's words would make sense to him.

 _Use everything to your advantage. Even your dreams._

It felt like utter nonsense to Alf. He had tried already to recount if there was something in the last few days, a shot of insight or wisdom that could possibly help him.

What had happened?

Shen had tortured him.

The ship.

The visions.

Alf snorted, noting that he was already seeing the beginnings of the outskirts of city appear as he continued his sprint forward - the crowd lessening as the distant explosions grew wilder and louder.

Nothing about Shen's torturing seemed insightful or helpful. There were no moments of "Aha!" where Alf could easily utilize some event to manufacture a technique that could go towards beating him - mostly the memories were just painful, horrid, and already half-suppressed.

 _BOOM._ The explosions were close now.

The ship was utterly nonsense to him. The voice had spouted all kinds of mumbo-jumbo about "dimensions", "timelines", and "payment". Or at least Alf thought so, before rudely awakening to Zhong, the Soothsayer, the Five, and practically everyone around him try to convince Alf that he was delusional.

Perhaps the visions?

Yu killing her parents.

Yu dying.

Yu.

Yu.

A lot of his visions had been centered around Yu - had been centered around the fox. It had been a tremendous irony to learn about her true feelings toward him right after Alf had confronted her - well not confronted, but asked her about a vision which had lead her to start running away.

Alf sighed. It was exciting to learn it, but he still had the present matter at hand.

 _BOOM._

 _CRASH._

"NOOOO! PO!"

Alf's heart rate shot up. He was about a hundred paces from the water canal. He could see clearly fifty or so massive warships, backed by a heavily armored wolf force running forward towards some direction - along with a plethora of cannons.

There had to be something. He couldn't fight them like this.

Something.

The Soothsayer had to be right.

Alf went over the visions again.

 _Yu killing her parents._

 _The grassfield._

 _A cannon shrinking into his palm._

 _Yu laying dead on the ground._

Alf spat, annoyed with the lack of insight. The voices grew.

"NOO! MASTER SHIFU!"

 _Yu killing her parents._

 _The grassfield._

 _A cannon shrinking into his palm._

 _Yu laying dead on the ground._

Alf grit his teeth, trying harder to remember than ever before.

 _Yu killing her parents._

 _The grassfield._

 _A cannon shrinking into his palm._

 _Yu laying -_

Alf stopped, feeling an odd recollection come up.

 _A cannon shrinking into his palm_.

A vague, hopeful glitter rose in his chest. He alternated his course, heading straight for the remains of the destroyed Tower - hoping that Po and the rest could survive for just a bit longer.

 **. . .**

"PO!"

"PO!"

"Buddy!"

A few more calls from the rest of the Five - and even Shifu. No response.

The panda lay floating on a piece of driftwood, already having been blasted clean past the gates separating the city from the ocean. The rest of the Five fared no better - Monkey and Crane were floating aimlessly in the water, blood sinking into the deep, murky abyss below while Viper clawed onto a piece of wood that floated gratefully above the heavy ocean. Mantis and Shifu lay together on the Docks that ran parallel to the oceans - laying facedown, with no reaction as wolf soldiers carelessly brushed past them - assuming them dead.

The only exception was Tigress.

She began swimming desperately in the giant ocean as the warships - still fully stocked with Shen, battalions of wolf soldiers, and cannons - gently floated away out of the outskirts of the now open city. Anxious - but mostly defeated - citizens stood at the Docks, watching the fallen masters and Shen and his army - perhaps acknowledging that it was over.

Yet Tigress kept swimming.

Her injured eyes scoured past dark, rippling waves - finding Po's large, white frame sit on a piece of driftwood as it bounced carelessly up and down in the waves. She dove forward, reaching there in no time.

She grasped his paw, moonlight reflecting off his bruised and torn fur.

"I - I'm sorry," Po started, coughing out blood. "I - I - I didn't - "

Tigress' lips quivered, resting her forehead atop his. "It doesn't matter now. We - we did our best. There was no way - even with inner peace…"

"Tigress?"

"Po?"

"I - I wasn't talking about inner peace…"

Amber eyes met Po's green ones, yet they betrayed a slight sense confusion. Po shook his head.

"I - I meant - I mean - " Po continued, wheezing. "I'm sorry for not understanding."

"Not understanding what?" Tigress whispered, ears painfully made aware of the approaching warships.

"Not - not understanding who you are, what you've been through…" Po finished, looking at her with a bleeding smirk. "I - I was just - thinking of myself…"

Tigress couldn't bring herself to say anything. She squeezed his paw tighter.

"I'll always love you," Po noted, watching her expression sniffle a bit. "Don't worry - you don't have to say anything back - I - I - I just wanted to make sure you knew…"

Po's head gradually fell downward, hitting the driftwood.

Tigress gasped. She pressed an ear to his back, happy to still feel the lungs and heart make noise - but it was faint.

So many parts of her wanted to do something.

Say something.

Wasn't this the perfect time?

There was no Shifu.

No memories.

Nothing except her and Po.

And after that - inevitability.

Shen had won.

The least she could do - was make her last moments worthwhile. Make it good - makeup for years of denying herself everything everyone else had.

If that made sense to her.

"Awwww…" Shen vocalized a distance away, watching the two masters lie nudged together on the piece of driftwood. "She's holding his paw… if Zhong were here, I'd call that romantic!"

Yet Po and Tigress made no effort to move, both laying together in defeat on the driftwood.

Shen turned back, walking across the mast of his warship to see Yu bound up in chains.

"Do you see what happens?" the peacock noted, watching Yu cry as wolves aimed a cannon at the pair of masters floating. "SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO PREVENT MY DESTINY?!"

Yu wailed out for a time, before Shen made his way back to the head of the boat. He watched with satisfaction at the destroyed outskirts of Gongmen behind him, at the scared citizens watching from the Docks, and the thoroughly defeated masters of the Jade Palace in front of him.

In a way - it was poetic. His enemies were gone, his subjects were following him, and his past - the past his parents had tried to keep from him - was destroyed. Now, only the ocean was there - nothing to stand in his way.

He had proven his own prophecy wrong.

"Wolves!" Shen announced, addressing the army following him close behind with their own warships. "Today is your day of reckoning! Today is the day we strip power from _bureaucrats_ like the Jade Palace, like the Master's Council, like Oogway - and give it back to the people!"

The wolves howled in unison, raising their weapons.

"TODAY IS THE DAY WE FIGHT FOR THE COMMON WOLF!"

The wolves' howls grew louder.

"TODAY IS THE DAY WE FIGHT FOR SOMETHING GREATER!"

The howling intensified.

"TODAY - ALL WOLVES, THE DISENFRANCHISED, THE NEGLECTED, THE WORKERS - "

The howls were threatening to drown out Shen's own yelling.

" - WE SHALL OVERCOME! DESTROY ANYONE IN OUR PATH!"

Practical screams.

"WE WILL RESTORE PEACE TO CHINA!"

Shen waved down the wolves with a wave of a feather, turning to address the scared citizens standing on the Docks - hundreds of them forming a gigantic crowd, remembering Shen of the days when his parents would address all of Gongmen.

Now he had all their attention too.

"THOSE WHO FOLLOW ME SHALL RECEIVE RICHES BEYOND THEIR WILDEST DREAMS! THOSE WHO DO NOT - "

The wolves' howls began again, frightening the sheep and pigs standing on the Docks. Shen smiled, turning to his wolf army once more.

Shen grinned. It was all happening.

Years of effort.

Years of struggle.

He had finally won.

"That's the biggest pile of bullshit I've ever heard."

The howling stopped. The citizens' jaws collectively fell.

Away, and still floating in the ocean - Tigress saw an unusual visitor walk casually onto the Docks. She almost couldn't believe her eyes, given that she was used to seeing him in a dark black jumpsuit with a mask on. The rest of the Five and Shifu - drifting along wood chunks in waves - collectively and audibly gasped. Compared to this, the citizens and wolves however - had no idea how to react, because the mere presence of the individual seemed to be breaking a law in their heads.

There were only two people who seemed unfazed: the peacock, and Yu.

But the reactions were different.

Shen was seething with rage.

Yu was star-struck.

"I thought I _killed_ you," Shen whispered, watching Alf walk down the docks as the crowd of citizens wordlessly made way for him - stuck in awe. "I assumed you would have bled out."

The rest of the interspersed, distributed, massive crowd - wolves, citizens, the Five, Shifu, Po - all watched in amazement.

"I thought you didn't want to kill me?" Alf spat, grinning in amusement. "Changed your mind eh?"

"I assumed that I would have gotten everything I _needed_ out of you," Shen bit back. "Forgive me - but I'm not fond of protecting _endangered species_ \- I merely take what I want, and that's that."

Alf smiled. "Give it up Shen."

The peacock laughed savagely, watching his wolf soldiers in confidence - legions of ships began awkwardly laughing with in tune. After a significant part of the laughter had died down - and the crowd, the Five, Po, and Shifu now looked at Alf - Shen resumed his speech.

"WHY?!" Shen bellowed. "I HAVE AN ARMY! CANNONS! THE JADE PALACE IS DEFEATED! WHAT DO YOU HAVE?!"

"This."

 _CLICK._

 _SWISH._

Shen's eyes gazed upon the small device Alf had just procured from his pockets - extending a cylindrical barrel his way. His fingers were positioned - awkwardly around the device - with his index finger looped around bottom, around some curved thin metal strip - while the rest of his fingers traced a long barrel. The device was in an L-shape, with the supposed "handle" where Alf's finger was - with the rest tracing the barrel. A chunk of the middle of the handle jutted out, clearly infused with something.

The crowd merely stared at the unique device. Tigress - still gripping on Po in the water - felt baffled. The Five exchanged nervous glances with Shifu, then at Alf. Yu looked overjoyed. The wolves backed away in mild fear.

Shen growled.

"What - what is that?" the peacock uttered.

"Oh this?" Alf questioned mockingly, looking at the small barrel. "This is what happens when a Seeker figures out - how to use - _Seeker technology_."

Alf curled his index finger inward, pushing the metal level back.

 _BOOM._

A burst of fire.

Too fast to see.

 _SQUELCH._

Shen had blinked and missed it. The wolf guard in front of him was dead on the floor, with a large red hole into his forehead. A tiny, bloody metal cylinder rolled around on the floor behind him.

The wolves and the citizens burst into cries.

"THE SEEKER'S GOT A CANNON IN HIS HAND!"

"THE FLESHLING HAS A DOOMSDAY MACHINE!"

"THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING!"

The crowd of onlookers soon realized that this wasn't worth the trouble, and Alf was treated to the sight of hundreds of citizens nervously avoiding him and scrambling out of the Docks and back into the city - shutting the gates behind him.

The Five, Po, and Shifu - still floating in the ocean - had begun to get wind of what was happening.

The wolves looked nervous, exchanging pleas with Shen.

"Lord Shen - we didn't even see the cannon ball coming…"

"The Seeker has built some horrible weapon…"

"Lord Shen, we have to retreat!"

"ENOUGH YOU FOOLS!" the peacock roared, demanding the wolves to take courage. "THE FLESHLING HAS A _TINY_ CANNON! WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF HUGE ONES! BLAST HIM TO PIECES!"

The wolves - on perhaps all fleet of fifty ships - began moving towards the cannons decked on their respective ships. It was useless however, as Alf merely extended his device forward again, pointing the barrel at all the moving wolves.

And fired. Again. Again. And some more.

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

Five bursts of fire. Five projectiles that moved so fast - no one could even see them. Five wolves fell into the decks of their ships, bloody holes etched into their foreheads.

It had only taken Alf one shot each.

"WE CAN'T FIGHT HIM LORD SHEN!" the wolf nearest to the peacock begged. "HE'LL KILL US ALL!"

Alf walked casually up a bridge supporting the Docks to Shen's warship, walking across the plank to stare at the peacock right in the face.

The wolves on the peacock's own ship backed away in fear. The wolves on every other ship - following close behind Shen's - merely laid down their weapons and raised their paws.

"You - you have _made_ something I - I did not anticipate," Shen muttered, watching the Seeker with a mixture of disgust and hatred. "So I offer this one chance - release your weapon to me, and I shall spa - ARGH!"

 _BOOM._

Shen fell to the deck, collapsed upon his left wing - a bloody hole ran through it. Alf had avoided firing at his head.

" _I'm_ sparing you," Alf whispered back, grasping at the peacock's head - then turned to address the wolves. "ANYONE ELSE WANNA TRY ME?!"

The wolves stayed quiet, getting onto their knees as they moved away from the cannons on their own ships. Shen roared out insults in fury.

"COWARDS! ALL OF YOU! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT - "

Alf ignored Shen's wailing in the background, tossing aside the device as he realized the job was done. He exchanged a quick glance at the Furious Five and Po - who were still drifting, albeit closer - in the ocean. They didn't seem to understand how quickly everything had changed - and so there was immense confusion on their face, but there was also incredible gratitude - fierce, resilient smiles on each of their own.

Even Shifu's.

Alf walked to the mast, unwrapping the ropes binding Yu.

He was done wasting time.

He was done waiting for the perfect moment.

He had to make it.

He had never known.

Now he did.

"Yu - " Alf started, watching the fox stare at him with her jaw open. "I lo - "

"ALICE!" came Tigress' voice. "BEHIND YOU!"

Alf spun around, fearing the worst.

"DIE FLESHLING!" came Shen's voice behind him.

Alf swiveled, seeing the peacock point the fallen device right at him. He instinctively curled his feather around the small lever, grinning savagely.

Alf shielded Yu, holding his breath.

 _SKRIT._

But the _"boom"_ never came.

Alf opened his eyes. And let his mouth drop. The Five, Shifu, and Po stared in amazement at the events on Shen's warship. Yu gasped loudly.

The device had fallen out of Shen's clutches. A wolf - very distinctive wolf, with a red tattoo on his arm, and ferocity in his eyes - was standing close to him, with a silver blade wedged into Shen's ribs. An old goat was standing beside him - a bit disappointed but understanding all the same.

Shen coughed out blood, shocked more than he had ever been. " _Zhong_? After - all - this - _time_?"

The wolf said nothing, merely shoving the blade in further to penetrate the peacock's heart.

" _Always_ ," Zhong forced, sighing. "I'm sorry, brother."

Shen let a few tears drip down his face.

He blinked twice, taking in Zhong's face a few more times.

Then fell to the floor. Blood began pooling out of his wounds.

Alf's mouth was still open. Yu was staring at the fallen peacock - wondering just exactly how Shen had managed to oversee that. The Five, Shifu and Po - thankfully close enough now to the warship so that they heaved themselves onboard, and onto the deck - stood in awe. The crowd of other wolves stared in horror, not even remotely moving from their submissive positions Alf had put them in - at least fifty ships' worth of horrified wolves.

The city looked it was growing brighter in the moonlight. Zhong turned to address Alf.

"Kid, if there's _ever_ a time," he advised. "I'd do it _now_."

Alf turned back immediately to Yu, not caring that the whole world was effectively watching.

He breathed deeply, taking in the fox's overjoyed expression. "Yu - I lo - "

Yet his words could never make it out, because her lips had already met his.

Pressure.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

And perhaps it was because of all the time they had felt wasted, or perhaps all the events they had been through - but they took several minutes to merely hold each other, passionately moving lips against each other - body and souls connecting and exploring each other's in a way they had both previously thought - impossible.

And Alf knew many people - the Five, Shifu, Po, Zhong, the Soothsayer, the captured wolves - were all watching - yet somehow that made it all the more sweeter.

It meant something - it meant that no matter what had previously happened, how much time had been stolen from them - this, was completely theirs - and theirs alone.

Their world.

Their hearts.

Their lives.

Their choices.

So Alf stayed in her embrace, holding her closer as they continued the kiss that seemed to never end.

* * *

 **A/N**

;)

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Just two more chapters to go in KFP 2, then we start KFP 3…_

 _P.P.S: Been meant to do it for a while, but I'm gonna start checking out your guys' stuff. Too much talent out there… :)_


	34. KFP 2:17

" **New Times"**

* * *

Gongmen City was - for once - a bit more peaceful than usual. The greatest results seemed to have come from within the city itself, as the usually heavy wolf presence was all but gone. Citizens therefore, took it upon themselves to slowly put chunks of building back into their original places, clear debris, and start rebuilding the roofs, their city, and all the lives that Shen's former occupation had gone away with. The tragic deaths of the Masters' Council was not forgotten either, as a group of sheep had already taken it upon themselves to preserve any remnants of the Tower of Sacred Flame, quickly storming the Palace Courtyard and taking possession of the territory.

In a far more subtle sense, the true rebuilding was occurring at the outskirts of the city near the Docks - with nearly fifty ships all bound with cannons and bowing wolf soldiers - as the Furious Five, Shifu, Po, Zhong, the Soothsayer and the wolves looked on at a lone couple, kissing passionately under opaque moonlight, on the front of Shen's former warship. The peacock himself lay dead at Zhong's feet.

Alf pulled away, making Yu groan a bit. "No one's said anything yet - I'm surprised."

The fox merely giggled, stealing the moment to grace his lips again before pulling away. "I don't care."

"WOOO HOOO GO ALF!" Monkey cried out, squealing with joy.

"OH MY THAT IS SO ROMANTIC!" Viper called out.

Alf smiled gracefully, flashing a wordless glance at the Five, Po, and Shifu. He noted that Zhong and the Soothsayer were already busy talking to the defeated wolf soldiers - probably trying to get them to relinquish their crusade - after all, their leader was dead.

 _His_ crowd however, was more enthusiastic.

Po was the first to come up, wrapping his arms freshly around Alf and Yu.

"That was _so_ couple goals!" the panda exclaimed, giggling with joy. "Badass rescue, save China, kiss your girl…"

"And thus ends literally _two years_ of back and forth," Crane smiled. "Glad to see it!"

"Yu went for it first," Tigress quipped, holding an injured arm. "Once again Anna, we all got to see who wore the pants in this _relationship_."

Both Alf and Po simultaneously grinned - it was certainly a good sign that the girls' names were coming back.

"Nice to see you too, Tigress," Alf gently reminded. "Nice to see all of you guys."

"Thanks bro," Mantis offered immediately. "We uh - hmm. Guess this is the _second_ time we all owe ya one, huh?"

"Don't make it a _habit_ ," Crane offered, patting Alf on the back. "Hanging out with you _is_ a national crime, after all…"

Alf grinned broadly. The Five and Po circled around him and Yu, as the fox looked at the Seeker with a distant affection that only he could sense. Privately, Alf wanted to talk some with her - perhaps catch up on so much time they had missed - but he also wanted to enjoy this moment, take in the satisfaction that for once - it was all over.

"Seeker…" came a shrewd, clouded voice.

Alf sighed, as Yu bit her tongue. The rest of the Five audibly stiffened - particularly Tigress - while Po merely sighed again.

"What is it now, Shifu?" Alf asked in frustration. "Wanna somehow twist this all into my fault - for the public to hate on me some more?"

Shifu emerged, unoffended. "... what is that _device_?"

Alf had been expecting this question sooner or later. The Five and Po added into the intrigue, staring at him expectantly while Yu merely flashed him a confused, but empathetic glance as she rested her head on his shoulders.

"Before I got here," Alf noted. "I went back to the Tower place. Found some old cannon parts - managed to make something out of it."

"That's some shit only Seekers can do," Mantis mentioned, nodding his head furiously atop Po's shoulder now. "Make something in seconds…"

"How'd you make something that fires even _faster_ and _smaller_ than a cannon in such a short time?" Viper queried.

This was a question that hadn't really crossed Alf's mind. His first response was to say it was the Soothsayer - and the dream - but that was just the inspiration, not the actual method. His second likely response was all instinct, that something had just taken control of him - but the more he thought about it, it wasn't really a memory or just knowing how to do it - it was more just how the pieces seemed to him. Broken bits of metal, a fuse, a spark chamber - it had only taken him twenty seconds to figure out how the cannon mechanism worked, and perhaps just a few more minutes to make a crude manifestation of something much smaller, complete with trigger and firing shell. It had taken him mere seconds to learn how to aim it.

And then Alf thought back to all the other times where he had found his mental abilities to - greatly exceed everyone else's. Back in the Jade Palace, when they were discussing paths to Gongmen - it had taken Alf just moments to suggest a faster, more alternative path. And even before that, Alf had figured out an easy way to defeat Tai Lung despite having zero knowledge of kung fu, fighting, or even basic anatomical principles.

And the list of examples never stopped.

So the honest answer was that Seekers _maybe_ \- as much as Alf hated to admit it - really were different from everyone else.

It made Alf gag just to think that way.

"I - I just knew," Alf whispered to a confused audience composing of the Five, Yu, Po, and Shifu. "It's - it's kinda hard to explain."

"You just see patterns and mechanisms in the world," Tigress noted quietly.

"Since when did _you_ become such an expert in _Seeker_ stuff?" Po shot casually.

Tigress smiled, bruise just appearing to fade under her right eye. "I've seen it before in Alice. She's - well - maybe specia - "

"Alright I've talked with the wolves," Zhong came in, interrupting the flow of conversation. "They're giving up. Going their separate ways."

Alf and Yu watched the immense gang of wolves - perhaps hundreds of them - disappear off the boats and back onto the Docks, throwing down their weapons. The Five, Po and Shifu however - eyed Zhong and the approaching Soothsayer with a bit of trepidation. The Boss Wolf promptly shoved the fallen device into Alf's hands, stepping over Shen's body.

"I dunno what the hell this thing _is_ kid," Zhong mentioned, eyeing the metallic device still smoking in Alf's hands. "But by the _Scrolls_ did it get the job _done_."

The Five and Po again heartily congratulated Alf, fiercely slapping him on the back. Thick moonlight shone down on Alf's face, further illustrating the happiness in his soul. He watched the waves idly ripple by away from the Docks, for once finding them quite soothing.

"Whaddya wanna call it?" Yu spoke up for the first time since the kiss, squeezing Alf's arm.

"How about - _mini_ cannon?" Mantis tried.

"Or _death boom!"_ Monkey offered.

"Super awesome killer machine thingy!" Po also assured.

Alf laughed at all the suggestions. He eyed the device with curiosity.

"Well - this part of it _revolves_ in circles when I reload it - " Alf started, stroking the chamber. "Maybe - let's call it the _Revolver_?"

"That'll never catch on," Po immediately rejected. "Glad to see there's still some dumb in ya!"

Alf laughed.

"Despite our - apparent victory - " Shifu started, genuine surprise in his pained voice. "We still have two problems."

Yu wrapped her arms around Alf's neck, brushing past the collar as the Five formed a circle around Alf proactively. Zhong and the Soothsayer still stood a little ways back, confused as to what Shifu was referring to.

"The Seeker is now - no longer a secret," Shifu noted. "And - the whole of China, and perhaps even beyond - know that the Jade Palace is now harboring _one_. That might - lead to - repercussions down the line."

"We'll deal with that as it comes," Alf offered immediately, not even waiting for any of the Five or Po to come to his rescue.

"Hmph," Shifu groaned, clearly disappointed by Alf's newfound confidence. "Yes well - that seems to be our only option… now as to your _Revolver_ …"

Alf casually tossed the device to Shifu, who was frightened a bit before he instinctively caught it. The Five, Po - and even Yu - seemed surprised, given that Alf would usually argue a great deal with the old master over matters such as this.

"Keep it," Alf forced. "I don't want it. I - I - I realize it's sorta dangerous to give to - give to someone _like_ me."

"Very courteous of you," Shifu noted, stuffing the revolver into his waistband. "I will certainly find a use for this, and your - _engineering_ skills later down the road… now as to our second problem - _you two_."

Zhong and the Soothsayer realized this was about them. And for once, the Jade Palace seemed moderately united - the Five, Po, and Yu all rallied around Shifu in a twist, looking at both individuals with harshness. Only Alf remained apart, looking at Zhong with sympathy.

"Even considering you eliminated Shen," Shifu started. "You are still a criminal - and have done - _terrible things_ in the name of Shen."

The Boss Wolf sighed, perhaps having expected this. Alf was a bit saddened to see the Five and Po nod their heads in unison, despite the fact that the wolf had literally betrayed his own people, killed his oldest friend, and had helped Alf escape from the cave.

"...therefore, I highly encourage you to run away from here, while we still give you mercy," Shifu forced. "Please. For your own sake. We are - grateful. But we are not - forgiving."

The last statement drew some controversial whispers from the rest of the Five and Po. However, Zhong was comforted by the Soothsayer - who patted his back with a sad touch. The Boss Wolf looked at Alf first, smiling woefully at him.

"So much for _joining_ the Jade Palace, huh?" Zhong addressed, remembering Alf's previous advice. "See ya folks. Thanks for letting me uh - live, I guess."

Zhong turned to walk away, inevitably heading for the city again - where he would likely pack up supplies, then leave this entire area forever. The Five and Po broke again into furious whispers amongst themselves, but Alf tore away from the group and Yu's lax grip to walk closer to Zhong, trying to turn the wolf around.

"Listen man - " Alf started.

"Nah, it's okay kid," Zhong emphasized, shaking Alf's hands with a firm but gentle grip. "I - I wasn't expecting anything in return for killing the peacock - I mean - if you knew half of the shit I've done for that guy - hell, I wouldn't want _me_ around either."

"I'm _sure_ Shifu can be persuaded to take you in," Alf begged. "You're strong. You're loyal. You've got - "

"Kid," Zhong cut across, eyes glancing sadly at the Seeker's youthful features. "Guys like me - just don't get a happy ending - and - "

Zhong paused, mulling over his words as his head dipped down. " - I probably don't deserve one."

Alf felt heartbroken. The old goat behind Zhong frowned, patting Zhong's arm with a gentle gracefulness.

Zhong steadied himself, grasping Alf's hand. "Take care of yourself kid. It - it was _crazy_ to meet a real _Seeker_ in person."

Alf awkwardly laughed, but the Boss Wolf had already gone away off Shen's warship, down the bridge, onto the Docks, and was headed inside the City past the massive gates of Gongmen. The goat stayed behind, frustrating Alf.

"You're not gonna stop this?" Alf asked. "Don't you care about him?"

The Soothsayer merely smiled. "I promised him a _different_ path. I _never_ said it would let him be a part of the Jade Palace… it's not in his destiny."

And she walked off, following the same path Zhong had.

"Bullshit," Alf whispered under his breath, heading back to his own group.

Po and Shifu were standing over Shen's body. They seemed partially regretful, and Po was hiding something that Alf wasn't quite sure about. The Five on the other hand were in high spirits - talking amongst one another and dramatically recounting Alf's entrance onto the Docks - despite it having occurred literally five minutes ago. Yu on the other hand - deliberately stood apart from the group, immediately wrapping her arms around Alf as he walked closer.

"I've got a lot to tell you," the fox finally uttered with a smile.

"Like what?" Alf queried.

Yu thought back to the Yongshi, to Hafthor, to the scroll, to the messages, and to everything else.

"A _lot_."

Alf smiled at her. He took one last glance at the fallen peacock, eyes a bit closed perhaps from sadness, other portions from regret perhaps - but ultimately, in quiet acceptance of his ultimate fate.

 **. . .**

* * *

 _Dear_ _Mr. Sir. Dude Master?_ _(Former) Commander Zhong,_

 _I understand why you want to leave. I understand why - especially after the life you've had - you'd just want to go to your place (in Mongolia, right?) and just - hide out there forever._

 _I get that, I truly do._

 _I've been in situations myself where I just wanna dump everyone in my life away, give up on believing in people, and just run away somewhere no can hurt me. But I've found that - if you give them a chance - people can surprise you. You might also end up surprising yourself. I don't know any philosophical stuff like the Soothsayer - and I'm certainly no Oogway - but I think you're worth it. I think it's worth fighting for what you believe in. I know you're not proud of what you did in the past. I know even trying to come back to - civilian life, especially under the Jade Palace - it'll suck, everyone's gonna hate you, and nobody will trust you. But take it from a guy who's spent his entire life being shitted on by the Universe (excuse my language) - it gets better._

 _Eventually._

 _It'll take a while though. But I want you to take that chance, to just believe in yourself enough to think that redemption is possible. All you need is one person to believe in you. I know I did._

 _Come to the Jade Palace. I don't know who you will be, or what you're gonna do - but it's a chance. Please consider._

 _Your fellow outcast,_

 _Alfalfa_

 _P.S: I know it might feel like you don't have any friends in the world right now. If so, consider me your first._

* * *

Alf eyed the letter with trepidation. He thought about perusing over the words again, perhaps editing it further - but was interrupted by the gentle noise that caught him out of the corner of his ear.

"Alf," Yu called out, smiling at him from the other end of the room. "We're ready."

He smiled.

After the events of last night, Shifu had ordered the Five, Po, Yu, and Alf to take a day (singular) for recuperation - quickly finding lodging at a local motel in Gongmen situated close to the docks, while the old master himself was going to spend the day procuring a new boat for travel and make sure Gongmen's political infrastructure was stable before leaving. Many citizens of Gongmen had personally invited Shifu to stay on as the head of a new Masters' Council in Gongmen, but the red panda refused quite easily with his responsibilities at the Jade Palace. The day of "recuperation" at the motel - more situated for the Five, Po, Yu, and Alf - was enough after all, to heal up the worst of the injuries and start the process of adjusting into what had happened. It had brought them all a valuable time period to reflect upon exactly how stressful the trip had been: it had been a month away from the Jade Palace, staying in a foreign, enemy-occupied city with little guidance from their master (at least, for a while) - and they had managed to simultaneously defeat a warlord, bring justice to a city, free its enslaved citizens, bring justice for all the dead members of the Masters' Council… so by any metric, everyone agreed that this had been their most stressful trip yet. Compounding the stress was Alf's newfound "popularity" - really just intrigued citizens - who would knock and try to pry their way into Alf's room, soundly stopped by an angry Yu or Po.

However, the return journey had already been planned - this time using Alf's expertise from the get-go. It was predominantly a nice, peaceful, sea-faring journey with some mountainous traversal - which brought no complaints from anyone. Monkey and Mantis were already looking forward to sleeping in their cozy cots at home - Po and Viper were eager to get back to cooking food in an actually functional kitchen - while Tigress and Crane eagerly awaited the chance to train again. Alf of course - who very much remembered his depressing room under the sewage pipes - was not particularly enthused for that portion, but going "home" nonetheless sounded appealing. Equally appealing had been the chance to speak to Po - who as Alf had noted - had been strangely deflated since Shen's death last night. The Seeker wanted to talk to him privately, as he could very much guess the amount of emotional trauma that the panda was going through - first with Shen, then learning about what happened to his entire race, and his parents - and now realizing that with the peacock's death, some of those questions might never get answered. Po himself had been isolated in his own separate motel room - coming out scarcely to just eat delivered food. Alf also noted some tension between Tigress and Po - which, although downplayed - seemed to be a significant component of the panda's stress. Shifu further complicated things, whom Alf noted to have been consistently making both Tigress _and_ Po uncomfortable, as of late.

So, Alf had lots of work to do once he got home.

"Alf! You gonna answer me?"

Then of course, there was _her_.

Alf smiled, looking around his clean, bare, bamboo motel room to see Yu stand at the entrance with two bags. She closed the door behind her, whilst plopping the bags on the floor as she flipped herself onto the only cot in the room.

She was the sole exception to all of this.

"Whatcha writing?" Yu asked, seeing the letter in Alf's hand.

Alf chuckled nervously, stuffing it into his pocket. "Nothin' - just Shifu asking me to double-check our route home…"

He wasn't sure why he was lying - but Yu seemed too tired to try to pry in further.

She gave a big sigh. "Crazy trip, huh? Here - packed your bag for you."

Alf noted the large knapsack with a smiley face drawn on. "Heh - not bad. Food? Clothes? My mask?"

"Didn't think of packing the mask and that damn awful jumpsuit," Yu noted. "You think you really need it? I mean - the whole world sorta knows who you are now…"

"Yeah," Alf admitted. "Yeah I guess so…"

Alf hadn't even _begun_ to imagine the consequences from that.

"So you get a chance to think over all the _crazy_ shit?" Yu promptly fired.

"What, me hallucinating a weird cloaked dude telling me my _dimension_ was in trouble, saying he was a Seeker from far away?" Alf asked promptly. "Yeah - I realize Shen must have tortured me harder than I thought."

This was a blatant lie. At no part of the "hallucination" did Alf feel it wasn't real - plus, many of his visions had been around Yu and her family history - a question that Alf didn't dare to ask the fox yet. So, the Seeker had independently assumed that it would have been better for him to simply ignore the topic for now - perhaps later, in the confines of his own room back at the Jade Palace - he could analyze all of it.

"No, although that is some insane stuff," Yu returned. "I'm talking about all the stuff _I_ told you."

Alf laughed. He had completely forgotten about the massive lecture that Yu had given him last night, as soon as they had checked into the motel and were alone in the privacy of his room - all the stories and details about the Yongshi, meeting Hafthor, the magical scroll, and a myriad of other complicated facts and legends.

"I dunno Yu…" Alf started, giggling a bit. "When you first told me all _that_ \- I was like - what the hell?"

"I _know_ , right?" Yu continued, eyes wide. "Good thing Shifu doesn't know… he'd probably shock you into next morning…"

Alf touched his collar instinctively. "A global cult? Some weird guy from _Europa? A magical_ freaking scroll?"

"It sounds crazy," Yu started. "But it's true."

"Some of it might," Alf accepted. "But a lot - I dunno. Just seems like some kid tryna con us or something…"

"Remember the _book_?" Yu referenced. "The same source gave us all this info! Gave us the scroll. There has to be something going on…"

"Maybe," Alf acknowledged. "Man - I wish I could ask Shifu about some of this - obscure stuff, but like you said - he'll skin me alive…"

Alf wasn't sure why, but he felt highly suspicious of Shifu. He had no doubt that everything, and all the experiences Yu had been going through - though insane - had been real, but the fact that so much of Seeker history was still being arrogantly stonewalled by the old master only served to piss off Alf more.

But he knew they were getting somewhere.

"We must be doing _something_ right," Alf finished. "When you think our anonymous friend is gonna send us some more clues on Seeker history? Maybe send that _Hafthor_ guy again…"

Yu sighed. "I don't know."

Alf chortled. "Ain't that the truth…"

The fox got up out of the coat, leaning a folded arm on Alf's shoulder. "But hey - we got all the time in the world to figure it all out."

Alf smiled, staring right back into her green eyes - reminded of the same softness that Po often had with him.

"We do," he finished. "Together."

She stared back into his eyes, grinning.

"Hate to interrupt you two girls," came an unexpected voice, again from the now open entrance. "But we're _going_. _Now_."

Alf swiveled his head, seeing a smirking Tigress stand in his doorway. With an enormous sigh, he broke away from Yu and heaved his bag over his shoulder. The fox got her own bag together as they both jointly headed to the entrance leading out of the room. Alf was careful to stuff the letter he had written for Zhong deep into his pockets - just waiting for a single moment of pause so he could deliver it.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yes, I'm rushing through publishing chapters - I desperately wanna get to KFP 3! Next chapter will be the last one in KFP 2!_

 _This chapter is the "prelude" sorta to the full resolution of KFP 2 - this chapter is a more of a "breathing" point, in contrast to all the chaotic stuff going on in this fic for the last ten or so chapters lol._

 _On a side note, in case I haven't hit you over the head with it already: Zhong and Alf have many similarities character-wise. And in case you again haven't been hit in the head with it already - this'll turn into something I think a lot of readers will enjoy. I think of the relationship as sorta the reverse of Alf's situation once he got to the Jade Palace - a stranger in a foreign area, a place where he's despised…_

 _Fundamentally I think Alf connects with Zhong because he can sympathize with those feelings, and the two share similar feelings perhaps about the world they live in. Alf is less cynical perhaps, but that could be a function of him just being younger…_

 _Long story short, it's a great relationship to write._

 _Next chapter will be the last in KFP 2. Then KFP 3. :D_

 _Support is incredible._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Started reviewing/favoriting/following your guys' stories! Please bear with me, there's a LOT of ppl who've shown me IMMENSE kindness on this fic, so it'll take a while to get to all of your guys'... but I will eventually! Just from a browse of it, seems like your guys' fics are light years ahead of mine, lmao._


	35. KFP 2:18 (Act Finale)

" **A Whole New Level"**

* * *

It was mostly back to normal.

The return journey - as everyone had hoped - was mostly uneventful. Crossing the sea via large boat took around five consecutive days, and this was easily passed by the abundance of food storage that had been stocked on their ship. Mantis and Crane had entertained the entire group with funny stories, and legends which they couldn't quite confirm yet found prudent to share with the rest of the group. In truth, the sea part was easiest - it took three more days via land to finally reach the Wu Dan mountains, which were a sure fire sign that the Valley of Peace was coming near. While traveling by land, Viper did manage to get sick repeatedly - mostly just a passing cold or wheeze, but it began persisting for a while. None of this detracted from the group's progress however, as another day in the Wu Dan mountains was easily passed as they found themselves on the stony path leading directly into the Valley of Peace. Already, the news of their battles in Gongmen had spread - villagers and citizens prepared a huge, celebratory feast for the Five, Shifu, and Po (although Alf and Yu didn't complain at the exclusions) - which by itself lasted a few days. So, after a summative of perhaps two weeks of celebrating, feasting, and long nights spent "reminiscing" about "that crazy peacock dude" - events in the Jade Palace were mostly back to normal: everyone trained, Shifu ran his duties as Grandmaster, and the citizens of the Valley went on their merry ways: working, cleaning, cooking, and doing everything a city would.

One sole exception stuck out, staying awake in the Dragon Warrior's room until the passing hours of evening - Po having gratefully offered his room for occupancy for a few nights, since the former's usual room was absolutely horrid by comparison. The individual in question had chosen to do his furtive business right now, as moonlight waned down on the Jade Palace and shone in through the bamboo room.

Alf - leaning against a wall of Po's room with a scroll in his hand - read the message that the Palace courier, Zeng, had just delivered to him.

* * *

 _Hey kid,_

 _Got your message. Helped me see a few things differently. I'm still gonna keep my Mongolian house an option - but - I'll consider coming to the Jade Palace. I don't know what the hell I'll do once I'm there, but it seems worth a try. If I do end up coming, I'll notify you a few weeks before I leave._

 _For a Seeker, you've got a hell of a way with words._

 _Your friend,_

 _Zhong_

 _P.S: Thanks for calling me your friend. That means a lot to me - really. Thank you._

* * *

Alf read over each word carefully, to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. It was a bit less of an assured response than he was hoping for - but perhaps that was a good thing - after a long two weeks of absolute silence, Zhong had finally chosen to give a reply intermediate between a definite "yes" and a "maybe".

Alf hoped that he would get another letter soon.

"Hey dude, what's up?" came Po's voice, as the panda barged into his own room in mild surprise. "After training today, Monkey told me you wanted to talk to me."

Alf sighed, having finally caught Po off-guard since having come back to the Jade Palace. It had been two weeks, and yet the panda's emotional mood had not improved - he still sulked in training, was quiet during sparring, and even cooked with a lackluster enthusiasm that Alf found difficult to digest. Even more sadly, Po's room looked much less lively than usual - the action figures hadn't been dusted in days, the cot looked like it had seldom been jumped on, and tables of scrolls seemed actually - _read_.

Po reading scrolls?

Something _had_ to be wrong.

"I'm your _best friend_ , bro," Alf reminded, smiling at the panda in interest

"Yeah, I know man," Po replied, offering a weak smile of his own. "Whatcha tryna say?"

"I'm saying you _share_ stuff with your best friends," Alf continued, hoping Po would catch on.

"I do."

Alf groaned, deciding to stuff Zhong's letter in his pocket now. "Dude - _talk_ to me. What is it - is it Shen?"

Po feigned not being interested, or even worse - not understanding. "Wh - what? I don't unde - "

"Yes you do," Alf cut across, marching to the large panda to lightly punch him in the large belly. "Is it him? Is it what happened to the pandas?"

"Don't - " Po started dangerously, voice lowering into a growl.

" - is it about your parents?"

"ENOUGH!"

Alf became silent. Po's chest was breathing heavily, and his paws were clenched into tight fists. The Seeker stared straight back at the panda, undaunted.

" _No_ ," Alf forced. "You can tell Shifu _enough_. You can tell the _Five_ enough. You can't tell me - _enough._ "

The weight of these words seemed to hang on Po's head, which forced the panda to sigh and plop down on his cot.

"Alf - " Po started, taking another deep breath. " - I - I don't wanna talk about it."

Alf smiled at him, standing closer to the panda. "Then let me say something."

"What?" Po asked.

"Maybe it's knowing Shen killed your parents," Alf bluntly mentioned, waving down a wordless complaint from Po. "Maybe it's _not_ knowing how it all went down. Maybe it's - maybe it's not knowing what happened to the pandas. But you know what?"

Po almost seemed tired. "What?"

"Whatever it is, whenever you're ready to talk," Alf tried. "I'll be there."

Po had a slight chuckle to himself, confused at Alf's pause. "Just that? No more trying to convince me? No giant lectures about opening up, talking about it…"

"I can make a few educated guesses," Alf mentioned, patting Po on the shoulder. "You feel lost. Feel empty. Feel like you - you didn't get the resolution you thought you would. Feels like you didn't get enough answers."

And Po slowly started loosening. "I barely knew the pandas. Hell I - I barely even knew my dad and mom, well aside from - "

Alf noticed the tears gently well in the large panda's eyes. "You thinking of Mr. Ping?"

"Visited his grave a few days ago," Po let out, grinning a bit after. "Heh - right when you were stuffing your face with the food we stole from the feast."

Alf burst out into heavy chortling. "Dude - remember - hehe - I can't eat in public! Not without getting stoned to death anyway…"

"Yeah well… I've just been lost, like you said I suppose," Po regarded, sighing again. "I dunno man - just feels like this might've all been for nothing."

Alf shook his head, strapping his hand onto Po's shoulder. "You helped _save_ Gongmen City. You helped bring a dangerous warlord _down_."

"All without _inner peace_ ," Po mockingly introduced, mimicking Shifu's mystical sensibilities.

"You'll get it after a while," Alf assuaged, smiling. "Trust me."

"Wait a second," Po started, suddenly growing irritated. "Did you just trick me into opening up to you?"

Alf cackled with laughter, moving away from Po to bask in the moonlight shining through the bamboo walls. "Sorry about that buddy."

Po giggled. "Sneaky little shit…"

"Anyway, the whole parents and pandas thing is only part of the problem," Alf recognized, moving back to the panda's side. "You wanna talk to me about Tigress?"

Po stood up suddenly, pacing around the large room. "What about her?"

"Don't play _dumb_ ," Alf quickly corrected. "You two have been acting awkward as _hell_ since - well, since for a while."

Po seemed to try to prevent himself from speaking any more. He ran his paws through the fur at the top of his head, blinking and trying to assuage himself of something. Alf walked around the panda, trying to get a guess into his emotional disposition. Po notably, seemed even more stressed than before.

"I told her I loved her."

The words made Alf drop down to his knees, staring at Po with amazed curiosity. "And?"

"And nothing," Po finished, frustrated. "She just - kept - ergh."

"She _what_ , man?"

"She didn't even answer me!"

Alf chuckled. "Well - communication has never been her strong point…"

"You think this is funny?" Po uttered, anger flashing back onto his chubby features.

Alf shook his head. "I'm just shocked that you're letting something like _this_ stop you."

"I'm not letting _anything_ stop," Po retaliated, again more angry. "I'm just hurt that - "

"Dude!" Alf cried out, failing to understand Po's source of anger. "She _didn't say no!_ "

"Who cares!?" Po fired back. "She didn't - "

"PO!" Alf interrupted, jumping up and down in excitement. "SHE. DIDN'T. SAY. NO!"

The panda was getting really frustrated now, walking around like a mad warrior just freshly released out of prison.

"Alf, you sound freaking - "

"Po!" the Seeker interrupted, grasping the panda's paws. "Master _Tigress_. Literally the most _hardcore_ kung fu master in the _world,_ who once punched Monkey just because he asked her if she was sick - when you asked her if she loved you…"

"She didn't say anything," Po slowly replied, beginning to understand what Alf was saying. "Well - I mean she was probably surprised that someone like _me_ would dare to - "

"Po," Alf interrupted. "Don't give up."

"Alf I'm not even sure she loves me bac - "

"Po," Alf interrupted yet again. "Don't. Give. Up."

There was something about the last few words that started something in Po. The panda, until now quite closed off and guarded about his judgements over Tigress' own emotional agenda - now seemed more open, more understanding of the Seekers' words. It was helped of course by Alf's relentless grin in Po's face - almost as if hearing Po's story had filled him with hope, a fleeting chance that Po could achieve something.

"Tigress is - " Alf started. " - a _work_ in progress, to say the least. But personally - I think even if there's a chance - you should go for it. Patience."

"Patience," Po repeated.

"Yep," Alf assured. "Patience. Don't give up on her - and don't give up on _your stuff,_ either."

And Po now understood what it meant perfectly.

Only Alf could put it in words like that.

"You've got a hell of a way with words man," Po noted, smiling genuinely for the first time in weeks.

"So I've been told," Alf remarked, thinking back to Zhong's letter.

"Dragon Warrior - ah, and the Seeker. Perfect."

Alf and Po swiveled their heads. Shifu was standing at the entrance to Po's room.

Accompanied by Tigress.

And just like that the tension was back.

"Master Shifu!" Po let out, bowing stupidly. "Uh - if it's about the dumplings disappearing from the food tray, I swear I only did it because I was - "

"No this is _not_ about that," Shifu quickly cut across. "But thank you for affirming my suspicions."

Po frowned in shame.

"I have something to privately discuss with Tigress and the Seeker," Shifu muttered quietly. "Leave, at once."

This seemed highly confusing to both Alf and Po. The panda of course didn't object, promptly walking forward to - in the most awkwardest of senses - _edge_ past Tigress, avoiding her eye line. Alf _did_ note however that he began a slightly nervous chuckle at her - and…

… she smiled back. That was enough for Po, who easily left his room after that.

Alf grinned. He was sure it would take time, and Tigress (and perhaps Po as well) needed to mature - but - there was hope.

For both of them.

For each other.

And much more.

Alf took a brief moment to fantasize.

"Seeker."

Until the voice snapped him back to reality.

Alf watched Master Shifu walk into Po's room, as Tigress carefully followed him inside. Although Alf wasn't quite sure about what happened between back at Gongmen - perhaps when he was captured - but Tigress' body language had changed significantly around Shifu. It had become much more stern and serious, with a few touches of affordability when Po or Alf were around - but these glimpses into her less serious side were proximity-based, chiefly based on how close Shifu was.

Alf chose not to dwell on it too much.

"Hey Tigress," Alf casually remarked. "What'd Shifu drag you in here for? Gonna lecture you about how _ineffectively_ you did in sparring today, against me?"

It was a gentle joke, and to Alf's relief - Tigress reacted predictably.

"If you consider making a girl like yourself cry and beg for mercy as ineffective…" Tigress started, with a tiny smirk. "Then yes. But - no, I don't know why I'm here either…"

She turned to Shifu, serious face resurfacing.

"As I'm sure you _both_ know," Shifu started. " _Mistakes_ were made by members of this Palace - mistakes that allowed China to know that we are harboring a _Seeker_."

Shifu flashed a hard glance at Tigress, who instinctively reached for her cheek. This also puzzled Alf.

"While we cannot fix the past," Shifu continued. "We must acknowledge reality."

"What reality?" Alf questioned.

"The Grandmasters' Council is placing you under criminal trial," Shifu uttered nonchalantly. "Indefinitely."

"I'm going to jail?" Alf spat, feeling an odd sense of resurgent rage recur. "Right after I save Gongmen from that freakin - "

"Trial means _trial_ ," Shifu interrupted, calming Alf down. "It simply means - your movements, your level of affiliation with the Palace, methods of controlling you…"

Alf intuitively thought of the collar placed firmly around his neck.

"... everything is going to be under a _much_ more scrutinizing lens now," Shifu finished. "Now, luckily no one outside this Palace knows about the _Revolver_ \- but I daresay you're going to find yourself under _much_ more surveillance than you're used to."

"From?" Alf queried.

"From everyone," Shifu illustrated. "Guards. Citizens. Visiting Masters. Everyone in China - maybe even beyond - know that there's a _Seeker_ who lives among us. You most certainly are going to experience - discrimination, and unfair prejudice."

"As if I didn't have enough of that…" Alf mocked sarcastically.

"Regardless, be careful," Shifu reiterated. "But that's only partially the reason why I called you two in here."

"What's the other reason?" Tigress broke in, folding her arms back. "Master?"

"From this day on, I shall no longer train the Seeker," Shifu declared with a distanced finality.

This relieved Alf more than ever, glad to put some more emotional distance between him and Shifu. "Sounds great! Now, can I get back to - "

"You will." Shifu ordered.

But just then, Alf realized who Shifu was referring to.

Tigress.

"Me?" she asked out loud, genuine surprise coming through. "Master - what do you mean?"

"Over the past few years it has been increasingly obvious that you, Seeker - might one day need more - _specialized_ training," Shifu observed. "Crane told me about your skills with the map, with constructing the _Revolver_ \- and perhaps even I knew, back when you engaged with my so - I mean, Tai Lung."

A note of pain in Shifu's voice - but Alf was so shocked at the recent statement that he didn't really care.

"Wait, is this all because you're trying to reduce any of the Palace's legal ties with me?" Alf questioned, standing up to walk closer to Shifu. "If so, I can just - "

"That is a nice added benefit," Shifu reasoned, stroking his chin. "But the fact remains that everything about you: your sparring skills, your intelligence, your strategies when engaging an enemy - you need training from someone more on _your_ level."

"Master, respectfully," Tigress interrupted, failing to keep her outrage from flooding through as he whiskers flared. "The Seeker is skilled, yes - but I'd argue that he's _still_ inexperienced compared to the rest of the Five…"

"He's _mastered_ techniques and strategies in two years that some of the Five _still_ haven't," Shifu noted. "Whether that's due to his heritage, or because of the effort he's put in - is irrelevant. The point remains: he needs training from someone better."

"Better how?" Alf questioned, feeling lost again. "You're the Grandmaster of the Jade freakin' Palace!"

The last few words made Shifu cringe in amusement. "It won't be long until sparring with the rest of the Five, the Dragon Warrior, or even _me_ will prove useless to you, Seeker… we simply won't challenge you enough."

Shifu paused to let the weight of his words sit in, then continued. "So - to make sure your skill still grow - I need to pair you with someone much, _much_ stronger and more experienced than you are - at least for now."

Tigress' face changed imperceptibly at the compliment, while Alf still kept a watchful eye on Shifu.

"You can both spar very hard with each other," Shifu observed. "You both can plan tactics for future missions together. You have _much_ to learn from her Seeker - and you, have much to teach."

Shifu again stared expectantly at Tigress.

"Master, respectfully I disagree," Tigress forced out. "I - I do not feel qualified to teach the - "

"I don't care about your _wish_ ," Shifu fiercely proclaimed. "From now on - it's about what _I_ wish. Or don't you remember?"

Tigress again reached instinctively for her cheek, which was mildly concerning to Alf. What was even more concerning was Shifu's posture - straight, leaning forward, almost as if he was about to attack her.

"Of course Master," Tigress admitted in defeat, bowing her head. "My apologies. I will train the Seeker."

"Good, now both of you get some rest - Tigress, I expect you to awaken at the crack of dawn tomorrow, as per usual to train, Seeker - " Shifu addressed, turning to see Alf clearly. " - I expect you to do what she says, whenever she says - from now on."

Alf nodded sadly. Shifu turned to bow briefly, as he walked out of Po's room promptly thereafter.

The most awkward of silences followed. Alf merely continued to give Tigress a half ironic smile, while she merely stared at him with a detached coldness - there was amusement underneath there, but it seemed cruel and twisting, as if she was devising new, evil ways to "train" Alf - like sparring with her for fifteen rounds, or fighting her handicapped, or some confusing combination where she could just beat the absolute hell out of him.

"So… this is awkward huh?" Alf broke in, trying desperately trying to displace the tension. "Ol' Shifu just drops me off on your lap and bolts - "

"Five hundred push-ups, now," Tigress demanded, smiling harshly.

"What?" Alf groaned. "Wait, _now_?"

Tigress let her slightly taller frame budge closer, staring down at him. "Yes, _now_."

Alf gulped, wondering whether Tigress was already enjoying her newfound position or simply taking out the anger of being forced into it.

"Of course, we could just skip that and you could spar with me tomorrow morning," Tigress offered with a smirk.

She was definitely enjoying it.

Alf sighed, but then realized exactly what he had been planning to do before getting distracted by Zhong's letter, Po, Shifu, and everything else.

"Actually eh - I've got a _date_ tonight," Alf noted. "I - I just wanted to meet with Po before I left for - "

"Fine, sparring with me tomorrow morning it _is_ ," Tigress finished for him, grinning. "I was _hoping_ you'd choose that."

Alf groaned. "Five minute rounds."

"Ten," Tigress countered.

"Ergh - seven," Alf haggled some more.

"Twenty."

"What the - " Alf started, confused. "You're supposed to negotiate _downward_ \- "

"Thirty."

Alf kept silent, frowning as Tigress gleefully kept the smirk up at him.

"Fine - thirty," Alf agreed, practically feeling preemptive soreness kick in from the thorough beating he would be sure to receive tomorrow. "I'm gonna go to my date now."

Alf began his march out the door, but was stopped by Tigress' deft paw catching the back of his vest.

"Anabelle, a little advice?" Tigress started. " _Try_ not to freeze up. Guys hate it when girls just _freeze up_ …"

"Okay goodbye," Alf cut across, angry but somewhat happy that Tigress' cheerful demeanor was coming back - even if it _was_ only in private. " _Master_."

Tigress growled at him. "Sixty minute rounds."

Alf smiled, walking out of Po's room. "Worth it."

 **. . .**

In a land much farther from the Jade Palace, much farther than China - on frozen wastelands that seemed to never end, there was a large settlement that stacked wooden logs atop one another as far as the eye could see. In sharp contrast to the smooth green curvature of Chinese flora, the flora and fauna of this land were wild and cold - with bitter snow almost reminiscent of Mongolia (yet far from it) that beat down on unweary traveler. The settlement itself was particularly impressive - with gigantic wooden logs encircling a huge space that stuck out against thick snow piles and snow fall. Inside the settlement, there was the movement of at least five hundred armored warriors - dressed in thick black, spiky armor which dug into the ground with every step and cut through the air with every lunge. On the very outskirts of the heavily fortified camp, complete with tents, food, warriors, and a solid perimeter - a lone wolf trounced forward along a snowy path, arriving at the gate of the massive settlement.

A male lion - almost two heads taller than the wolf and several times bigger - met the straggler at the twin gates, the only entrances inside the settlement.

"Wang, I've confirmed it," the wolf spoke.

The massive lion looked neutral for a second. "Confirmed? Confirmed what, Hafthor?"

The male lion's voice was deep - powerfully deep.

"The Seeker. He's real. The boy is still young. He doesn't know what awaits him."

Wang stroked his enormous mane, looking forward at the cold tundra in front of him.

"Then we must move quickly."

"Right now?" Hafthor questioned.

"Not right now," Wang clarified. "But soon. In time. We must."

 **. . .**

"You're kidding me! A criminal trial?!"

"Yeah, no joke."

"What the hell…."

In perhaps suiting fashion, Yu had decided that the location of their first official "date" had to be by a place situated away from everyone else - after all, someone like Alf would never be able to sit down and eat at a restaurant, at least peacefully. Therefore, she had chosen "the Rock" - as it was now affectionately dubbed - the large boulder sitting in a grassfield well away from the Valley, and even the Jade Palace. Before all the events of Gongmen, it had been their favorite hangout spot - Alf even remembering the first night they spent on top of the rock, eating food together, while other memories recalled him trying to break his collar off by wedging the tip of the boulder into his neck. That had been nearly two years ago - and both the fox and the Seeker an abundance of good memories spent laughing, enjoying each other's company, and overall relaxing together on top of a rock in the middle of nowhere. No one would bother them, come looking for them, or otherwise harm them - it felt very private, but also intimate as the grassfield lightly swayed under cool night breezes. The Wu Dan mountains acted as a natural backdrop, sitting right behind them.

"Seems like every time we've been meeting each other recently," Yu noted. "We always have some crazy shit to tell."

"Eh, mine wasn't _that_ crazy…" Alf noted, satisfied to see Yu having packed some dumplings for the night beside her.

"You're under _trial_ ," Yu forced, guffawing. " _Tigress_ is your master now? Po said he - he told Tigress he loves her? Well actually the last bit isn't that surprising…"

Alf snickered, carefully hiding the correspondence with Zhong - he would deal with that later.

"Not as crazy as learning about some worldwide cult tryna find me," Alf observed. "I still think it's all bullshit - think we should have stuck to just finding answers, _our_ way."

"We weren't getting anywhere," Yu affixed. "We were just losing coin and chasing myths… our anonymous friend gave us the book, then apparently he sent some _messenger_ to talk to me…"

Alf snorted. "I still think it's mostly bullshit."

Yu giggled, lightly punching him on the back. "Think what you want. What about those _visions_ you had? Back at the cave?"

Alf had went over these thoughts a hundred times over - and his response had not changed since then.

"Like I said - it was probably just Shen torturing the hell outta me," Alf concluded.

"Probably?"

"Yeah probably - I mean who cares?" Alf interrupted. "He's gone."

Yu smiled. "Yeah he is…"

Alf looked at the fox look down at her feet, dangling off the edge of the rock. He knew he had a rare opportunity now - and the position they were, the isolated place, and considering how much their relationship now meant to both of them…

… he had to ask.

"Yu, you've gotta open up to me sometime."

The fox flashed him a toothy grin. "About what?"

"You know." Alf merely responded.

The breeze strengthened. It flipped back, and away from Alf as it elegantly ran through the fox's fur, chilling her on the outside. She turned her vision idly to the Wu Dan mountains, taking a deep sigh.

"If _anyone_ deserves to know," Alf interrupted. "It's me. Especially _now_. After all we've been through."

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Yu seemed to loosen a bit.

"My - my parents were soldiers under Shen," Yu began, carefully aligning her words.

Alf felt taken aback. "What?"

"Yeah," Yu noted. "They - they were _good_ , I guess… because Shen would often come over to our old home… meeting me…"

"Wait wait," Alf quickly cut across. "You - you _knew Shen_? Why didn't you say anything?"

Yu groaned, pawing at her face. "Would _you_ admit to knowing a _warlord_ since birth?"

"Yeah but - "

"But nothing, Alf," Yu forced. "It was - a horrible time in my life. I was too young back then, but - I knew mom and dad weren't doing your usual jobs…"

Alf frowned, placing a hand on the fox's shoulder. "And?"

"And one day they got hurt," Yu recalled, furrowing her brow. "Hurt bad. They - they were bedridden for months."

"How did they get hurt?" Alf questioned.

Yu seemed to tense up audibly. She looked at Alf, expecting another bout of sympathy - but the Seeker himself wasn't sure whether to give it because of how awkward she was acting.

"In a raid," Yu noted, looking up with tears in her eyes. "On a panda village."

Alf gasped, moving automatically backward as Yu sobbed, falling straight into his chest. He held her there for a while, allowing her to cry for a bit as the tears drenched his fresh vest. Alf didn't dare think of questioning her more after - it seemed that many of the answers had already been given.

"You found it too awkward to say," Alf whispered, massaging the fox's head. "That your parents were connected to Po's - well, his entire race - being gone."

Yu removed her head, nodding slowly. Alf brushed a few tears past her face.

"But that's not who _you_ are Yu…"

"No - I am," the fox grimaced. "See - I couldn't _bear_ to see my parents like that and - I guess they didn't want to live like that so, so…"

Yu looked at Alf again, tears forming repeatedly in her eyes.

"So you killed them," Alf finished, pursing his lips gently at her.

"They asked me to Alf I swear I didn't - ugh," Yu let out, staring a fresh sob as she wept into the Seeker's shoulder again.

To her great surprise, Alf didn't resist at all. Although the Seeker now understood where his vision had been coming from - so perhaps there was some degree of truth to what the voice, or figure in or outside of his head had been saying - Alf didn't care about that now. A small part of him had always thought of Yu as having some sort of dark backstory that she didn't feel like sharing - but hearing the details of it made him cringe a bit… even if he could have met his theoretical parents, he couldn't have imagined killing them at such a young age.

"Yu, you're not a bad person," Alf smoothly assured. "Trust me."

"My - my parents helped kill the pandas," Yu recalled mid-cry. "I - I - their own daughter helped kill _them_. And I've - I've - I've been running from that beginning ever since…"

Alf squeezed her head more tightly against him for a moment, but then gently beckoned her forward.

"I love you," Alf offered kindly. "You know that, right?"

Yu grinned, still brushing off a few tears. Although Alf felt like he had much more to talk about, much more of Yu's past to explore - what was key now was making her feel okay, making her feel wanted - after all, she _was_ the only person in the world (asides from Po, perhaps) - who truly understood him.

So he was obligated to understand back.

"We have a lifetime to talk about it," Alf interrupted, suddenly fed up of prying into her painful experiences. "For now - let's just eat these dumplings and enjoy our first date."

Yu cackled, crying and laughing at the same time. "Y - Yeah…"

Alf smiled, wrapping his arm around her.

"Alf?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

"I know."

 **. . .**

In a land much farther from China, much farther than the snowy wastelands, much farther from the planet - in fact, so far away that it was nearly impossible to see it without accessing some kind of new "dimension" - there were two individuals.

The two individuals stood alone in thick darkness, illuminated only by two vain bursting streams of light that illustrated both their presences.

The first of them was an enormous bull, carrying two green blades tucked into his waistband.

" _Thank you_ for freeing me from the Spirit Realm," the bull noted. "But - who are you? Where am I?"

"You are in quantum tunneling physical permanence - or an intermediary state between the _spirit realm_ of your world and its materialistic one," the other figure spoke, a massive black, cloaked figure. "Thanks to the efforts of the Seeker on your world - all the key dimensional portals have been unlocked."

"Seeker?" the bull asked. "There's a _Seeker_ on my world? What the - are you joking?"

"I am not," the cloaked figure said. "Now pay attention. This is the purpose for which I am reanimating you…"

The mysterious black figure waved a vague extension of what looked like an arm - opening a large tear into the darkness below him. The bull stared through the hole, visualizing a large, chubby, old panda apparently sitting on some grassy hilltop.

"My son - is alive!" the panda exclaimed.

The black figure sealed up the tear, breaking the bull's vision.

"What the - " the bull asked. "That's who I'm fighting? Some old _panda?_ "

"I believe on your planet - " the mysterious black figure noted. " - he would be - the Dragon Warrior's _father_."

"Hah!" the bull denounced with arrogance, still floating in the darkness along with the black figure. "I can easily crush a panda…"

"Then go do it…"

"Wait wait - but what's in it for you?" the bull questioned, looking at the voice. "You some being in the _Spirit Realm? Some weird_ old master I've never heard about?"

"I assure you, you have _never_ heard about me." the figure smoothly returned.

"Well, let's start with introductions then," the bull proclaimed. "I'm Kai."

"I already knew that."

"Then why don'tcha just tell me what your name is?!"

A long pause. Kai grasped his green blades in infuriated slices - grateful to be alive again, but again suspicious of what he presumed to be another spirit in the Spirit Realm.

The figure moved closer to the massive bull.

"They call me - Omega."

" _Omega_ huh?" Kai quickly reclaimed. "So - what's in it for you? Whaddya get in exchange for bringing me back to the Mortal Realm?"

"I have things planned," Omega simply responded. "Things planned that the life forms of your planet could not _dream_ of stopping."

Kai tried to ask more questions, but was stopped as Omega merely opened another tear in the black void - shoving the bull through it.

"It'll take some time for you to reach the Spirit Realm again," Omega noted. "I advise you to _work_ quickly and escape it - then reach the Mortal Realm."

Kai merely screamed, falling into an infinite abyss of darkness.

* * *

 _ **End of Kung Fu Panda 2 (Act II)**_

* * *

 **A/N**

 _KFP 2 IS OVER! WOOOOO HOOOOO!_

 _In celebration, I'm going to wait about two weeks and recover for a bit - before releasing the next chapter or the beginning of KFP 3. I know I've been annoying you guys with constant, nagging updates! XDXD. Besides, it'll be a nice break for me and allow me to review some more of your guys' stuff!_

 _So see ya in two weeks!_

 _I tried to end it differently compared to KFP 1 - which had more of a neat, closed off ending. KFP 2 still has the ultimate bad guy (Shen) defeated - but obviously there's so much more going on that it's really just sort of a giant cliffhanger. We have so many plotlines that I'm excited to develop further in KFP 3 - several new (probably predictable) cast additions, and obviously more and more teases into Alf's history and his connection with - DRUMROLL…._

 _Omega._

 _Hehe._

 _Finally, his name was revealed._

 _And the Yongshi, of course._

 _But seriously, KFP 2 was awesome - I loved every bit of writing it. Seriously. Now onto KFP 3!  
_

 _Your support means the world. Thanks again for all the love. :D_

~TW


	36. KFP 3:1

" **A Trial Before the Lion"**

* * *

"Inner… peace… inner… peace…. Itchy n - "

"Would you for once - _shut it_ Oogway?"

The old turtle opened his eyes gradually, trying to gain a better look at the figure in front of him. The distance between them was considerable, as were all distances in the Spirit Realm - floating chunks of rock and Chinese insignias permeated the thick air, as Oogway's attentive vision caught a massive bull charging through the air - twin green blades in his hand.

"Kai - old friend," Oogway slowly announced.

The massive, muscular bull snorted a deep spurt of air - displacing dust on the floating rock he was now standing on.

"Master Oogway…" the bull whispered.

"Our battle ended five hundred years ago!" the old turtle exclaimed in anger.

"Well now I'm ready for a rematch…" Kai continued.

Oogway began sheepishly grinning. "Took you long eno - ACK!"

Yet the old tortoise never finished his sentence, as the enormous bull had swiftly shoved himself and the green blades forward - ripping straight though Oogway's ribcage. Blood slowly oozed out of the old master's mouth.

"Yo - you've gotten stronger," Oogway let out, coughing out blood. "Too - too strong for - ergh - how much chi have you stolen?"

Kai laughed triumphantly, pulling Oogway up through his wounds with the blades. "You think my power comes from ordinary _chi_?"

"Then - then - " Oogway desperately asked, eyes rolling over. " _How_? Where are you getting this - ergh, power…"

Kai dropped the tortoise, watching him crash down to the floating rock. "It comes from my good friend _Omega_. You know him - don't you, Oogway?"

The word sent a chill swiveling through Oogway's spine.

The name.

The pronunciation.

It couldn't be anyone else.

It couldn't.

After all this time?

After so many millenia?

Vivid memories - ones that were too short to even properly recall - flashed through Oogway's head.

 _Blood._

 _Chaos._

 _Darkness._

 _Night._

 _Omega._

 _The Seekers._

"He's not lying, you know."

The second voice sent ripping tones through Oogway's heart. He recognized it instantly - having heard it so many times when he was very young.

It still scared him.

Behind Kai - and standing significantly taller than the ginormous bull - came _him_.

The one Oogway feared.

The one who he associated with death.

He was a Seeker.

His body was muscular. His frame was huge. His eyes were piercing black. Yet the details of his physique still seemed hazy - as if he was under some apparition or spell - foggy clouds formed most of the Seeker's body.

"As you can see, I am not quite close enough to your world to assume a physical presence," Omega noted. "For now - I will have to play _ghost_. Until my _ship_ nears of course."

"I - I don't understand…" Oogway let out, crying now. "Please - please - leave my world - Kai, old friend - how, how could you ally yourself with this monster?"

"He _gave me_ enough power to break free of the Spirit Realm," Kai noted, grinning sadistically.

"HE WILL KILL YOU AS SOON AS HE AND HIS ARMY LAND ON THIS WORLD!" Oogway shouted. "BROTHER - BREAK THE LINK BETWEEN YOU AND OMEGA NO - ARGH!"

Kai didn't wait.

He shoved the blades forcefully into Oogway's ribs again.

The old tortoise let out a single tear.

" _No one_ can kill me," Kai whispered to Oogway, privately enough so Omega couldn't hear - whilst watching the tortoise's features fade into white smoke. "Especially with the power I have now - I'll kill my little - Seeker _friend_ \- as soon as I absorb enough chi."

"You - you - utter - fool…" Oogway squeaked, body relaxing naturally. "... there's no way to defeat Omega… the best _we_ did is - is hide…"

Then his body faded into cloudy white smoke.

"Hmm…" Kai vocalized out loud. "... you think that killed him?"

"Unlikely," Omega refuted. "Killing someone in this - _Spirit Realm_ \- seems to send them in quantum limbo."

"Quantum what?" Kai offered, perplexed for the millionth time.

"Again, beyond your species' intellectual capacity," Omega assuaged, patting Kai on the shoulder. "Now - in exchange for freeing you, you must…"

"Go after the Dragon Warrior's panda father," Kai noted. "I know…"

"See that you _fully_ accomplish the task," Omega reiterated. "The snow leopard partially failed me, and even giving ancient human technology to the peacock did nothing…"

"You've interacted with our world before?" Kai queried, dazed by this admission. "And what the hell does _human_ mean?"

"Again, only in-spirit," Omega noted. "The snow leopard activated the beacon for me, notifying where your world was - and the peacock and a human - your lifeforms call them Seekers - on _your_ world helped secure a dimensional path… it won't be long now till my compatriot and I reach…"

The enormous bull swiped upwards with one of his fierce blades, opening a tear in the Spirit Realm fabric. A hazy grassfield was seen through the small dimensional tear, as the bull looked through it with satisfaction.

"Been ages since I've gotten back to the Mortal Realm…" Kai whispered to himself. "Heh - too bad my _fleshling_ friend has no idea what I have in store for _him_ …"

He looked back at Omega's spirit, which merely nodded at him with a smile.

Kai smiled back in betrayal, about to jump through the tear before turning back - sudden curiosity hitting him.

"What did Oogway mean when he said you and your army are coming to this world?" Kai asked.

Omega merely smiled, not appearing to give an answer.

Kai growled, jumping through the dimensional tear whilst firmly resolving to kill the Seeker somehow later on.

 **. . .**

It had been two years since Shen had been defeated.

The struggles of the Jade Palace in defeating a peacock - who possessed machines that spit metal and breathed fire - grew in antiquity so much that all of China had been exposed to the legend one way or another. This tale seemed to rival, and perhaps even exceed the heroism over how Tai Lung had been defeated - focusing all of China to pay respects to Grandmaster Shifu and his team of warriors - the Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior. Although the Valley of Peace had previously occupied a relatively well-known position amongst the Chinese provinces - news of Shen's defeat had propelled the Jade Palace, and by extension - the Valley of Peace as the _de facto_ political capital of China. This had two broad categories of effects or consequences: some demographically, while others were practical.

The practical consequences of Shen's defeat washed across China in waves: after great minds spent time studying how easily China's previous financial capital, Gongmen - had fallen to Shen's cannons - a great deal of engineering and technological advancement flushed over all the provinces. Having carefully studied the mechanism and firing capabilities of perhaps hundreds of unused and seized cannons - the cleverest and most brilliant of Chinese inventors had banded together to commercialize the technology. Guard forces from nearly every province in China were now mandatorily equipped and well-trained in the usage of cannon warfare - which had made infighting and battles in Chinese provinces infinitely more bloody, but much more spectacular. The cannons' unique firing mechanism, and conversion of black powder into deadly bursts of fire and metal - were also reverse-engineered, quickly finding its place in basic technology such as houses, rudimentary clay ovens, and factories. From a technological standpoint, Shen's cannons had truly revolutionized the Chinese landscape - transforming previously green, vibrant landscapes of grassland into harsh, efficient factories which belted out deep puffs of smoke into the air. Cities all across China were now more advanced, almost plunged twenty years into the future with factories, new jobs, and new social classes all borne out of a deep predilection for metal work. There was even talk of mimicking a weapon - a weapon that had long since fallen into myths and broken stories - that could fire "faster than an eye could blink", and tear through flesh effortlessly. Citizens seemed to remember it being quite small - and having a chamber that rotated, or revolved with every shot - but even the brightest of Chinese ingenuity couldn't quite condense such powerful technology into such a form - yet.

Demographically, the Valley had shifted from its previous persona of "sleepy little town" that just _happened_ to be affiliated with the Jade Palace to an enormous cultural hub, with a fresh influx of immigrants from all over China - and some from even farther - who desperately had traveled there to "meet" with the famous Grandmaster and team that had managed to take down one of the most vicious warlords in all of China. Gone were the days when the Valley was sparsely occupied with a small, local population of farmers and trade workers - now, the Valley of Peace boasted a thriving tourism industry, along with heavy financial and banking or loan sectors, an incredible pool of visiting and recurring kung fu masters who were experts in their styles, a nightclub scene, a privatized weapons industry, its own standing rhino guard and local government, and a drastically enhanced population which was nearly twice the size of Gongmen City. Even the Valley's architecture was changed - the humble clay buildings and narrow street paths were gone, replaced with a bustling, red, and tall array of roofs and buildings that expanded the area by at least five times - and the streets were paved with exquisite rocky paths rather than just average stone. To top it all off, the Valley itself had a completely different feel to it - now it was a hustling and bustling metropolis, with a gregarious and massive, technologically "new age" population of highly-skilled workers or visiting kung fu masters. Shen's defeat had metaphorically killed the Valley of _Peace_ \- and had constructed a sprawling urban utopia in its place, or as the new population often called it: The Valley of Riches and Opportunity. It was - by far - the geopolitical "head" of China.

And of course, everyone came to see the Seeker.

Not that the rest of the Jade Palace wasn't as intriguing. The Dragon Warrior was amazing, the Furious Five were phenomenal, and Shifu was utterly riveting - but since Shen's defeat, and the Seeker's subsequent open admission into the world - ever since then, everything had changed.

Sadly, despite the insistence of many of Gongmen's citizens (perhaps the only major city somewhat sympathetic to the Seeker) - most of China was still quite infuriated with the discovery. The existence of the fleshling, one that had been openly tied with the Jade Palace for nearly five years, brought upon the wrath of negative publicity from the masses. There was, to some degree, a small but growing minority that had begun to question the instant assumption of "hatred towards all Seekers" - but this tiny opinion was clouded out by legions of hate-mongering and alarmist media. As it stood right now, there were heavy investigative operations and constant surveillance over the Seeker of the Valley.

The most popular of them happened in the courts.

 **. . .**

"Masters presiding - Grandmaster Sing, Grandmaster Wei Ling, Grandmaster Chung."

"Grandmaster Chung will be the first line of inquiry."

"Defendant's name is Alfalfa Ping."

"Case recurrence: 189."

The courthouse itself was beautiful by any stretch of the imagination. The large, wooden amphitheater setup allowed hundreds of Valley of Peace citizens - mostly skilled business workers or high-level kung fu masters - to sit in an expansive circle. The judges presiding sat at the front of the oval room, towering above everyone else because of the podium they sat on whilst serving on a small table panel. The defendant was customarily relegated to the center of the room, intensifying the scrutinization of the guilty or not guilty party. He or she would be surrounded by citizens and kung fu masters, with a large force of rhino guards standing close behind to provide restraint - if needed.

The notable exception today - although they had been here enough times that it wasn't even an exception anymore - were the Furious Five, the Dragon Warrior, Shifu, and a relatively unknown (to the public) fox: all of whom stood on a separate platform than the Seeker, yet still in the relative center of the room.

The Seeker was tall and slim. He had a dark black metal collar fastened securely around his neck, and wore casual grey robes. Just the beginnings of a few facial hairs were sprouting atop his upper lips and chin, forming a rudimentary but light goatee. His hair was spiky and onyx-flavored, sticking out at odd angles to give him a defined, edgy look.

"State your full name and age for the record please," a sheep asked from the center of the judges' panel, staring at the Seeker in the center of the room.

"Oh come on Chung," Alf begged, groaning. "I've been here enough times where - "

"Please answer the questions Mr. Ping," Chung reiterated, staring perfectly calmly at the Seeker.

Alf flashed a tired glance to the Five and Shifu, who audibly groaned as well. Po merely smacked his forehead and mouthed a _just do it_ to Alf. The Seeker looked at his giant crowd, who predictably gave him ugly stares from all around the theater-like courtroom. Only Chung and other two Grandmasters appeared neutral from atop their elevated podium.

"Alfalfa Ping," Alf droned on for what seemed like the millionth time - or precisely - the 189th time. "Turned eighteen nearly a week ago."

Although Po had already thrown him a private celebration a few days ago, Alf still wasn't used to being eighteen - for some reason, it felt like some number that should mean something to him. He had been most surprised with the physical changes over the past year - nearly five years ago, when Po had just been chosen as the Dragon Warrior - Alf barely got up to the panda's shoulders. Even two years ago, when they had been in Gongmen fighting that crazy peacock - Alf was still roughly the same height, perhaps a bit taller.

Now he was almost on Tigress' eyeline. Po still outstripped the others by a fair margin - but in reality, no one knew the growth patterns that Seekers were under, so estimating his "adult height" seemed to be a fool's errand.

"Could you please state the length of your involvement with the Jade Palace?" Chung queried, adjusting her spectacles.

Alf eyes the scribe, who was carefully writing all the details down next to him.

He sighed. "Four months."

"OBJECTION!" Grandmaster Sing interrupted, from the left of Grandmaster Chung. "You have been serving with the Jade Palace for nearly five years!"

Whispers grew from the large crowd around Alf. He began shaking his head in frustration.

"We do this every time…" Alf groaned under his breath.

Shifu stood up, addressing the panel. "With respect, fellow Grandmasters - the Seeker only started _official_ work with the Palace as of - as he said, four months ago."

Chung pursed her lips. "Then how long would you say - Mr. Ping - have you served with the Palace - unofficially?"

"Five years," Alf promptly replied, bored at this question.

"And Grandmaster Shifu… you did not think it prudent to notify the Supreme Council that the Jade Palace was harboring a Seeker?" Chung questioned. "One could argue that if it weren't for - let's see here - your victory and subsequent exposure of your Seeker in Gongmen City, nearly two years prior… the public might _not_ have even known about _him_."

The red panda grimaced. "I - I did not think it necessary to cause public outcry… and alarm people…"

More hushed whispers from the crowd all around them. The citizens at the front and lowest rows seemed to be the most upset, eyeing Alf with a death stare.

"Very well… " Chung admitted, then turned to address Alf once more. "Mr. Ping - do you now - as of four months ago… have the official designation as _Master_?"

Alf growled. "No - I _can't_ \- because of a cool piece of legal paperwork that made it _forbidden_ for Seekers to get any formal titles…"

Alf eyes the large rhino sitting next to Chung on the panel. "All thanks to big baldy over there…"

"FLESHLINGS CANNOT SERVE AS KUNG FU MASTERS!" Grandmaster Wei Ling roared, to tumultuous applause from the crowd. "I WILL NOT DIE KNOWING A FLESHLING COULD - "

"Grandmaster, I urge you to keep calm…" Chung emphasized, quieting the crowd as well with a wave of her hand. "Mr. Ping - do you realize that the actions you have taken last night may be - illegal to do, for someone of your status?"

"What, saving a kid from some bandits and stopping an active raid?" Alf called out. "Sorry - didn't know _kicking ass_ was illegal."

Mild chuckles came from the audience, and certainly from the table consisting of the Five, Po, and Shifu. The fox giggled with delight, eyeing the Seeker with a bored but amused expression.

"Yes Mr. Ping, but as you so know - " Chung tried again. " - participating in violent missions, especially as an undefined member of the Palace - "

"His position _isn't_ undefined, your honor," Shifu spoke up again. "He acts as our - _reserve guard_."

This seemed to shock everyone in the courtroom, and even Alf. Usually he would have to make up some explanation for himself every time this happened - when he and the Five, and Po would go save someone - then immediately a witness would snitch on the Seeker, culminating in a boring "criminal" trial - where the prosecutors would try every and each method to try to somehow indict Alf.

And every single one of those 189 times, Alf had managed to slip away. Having Shifu rush to his defense - with a believable excuse - was a first.

"Grandmaster Shifu, you are indeed saying that this position allows the Seeker to use force when apprehending dangerous individuals?" Chung questioned again. "And this position is a _legitimate_ position in the Jade Palace hierarchy?"

Shifu audibly gulped. "Yes, it allows him to apprehend - persons of interest."

"Answer the second question please."

"The position is - is legitimate."

 _Bullshit_ , Alf thought privately. _Why the hell is Shifu - of all the dudes in the world - perjuring himself to get me outta this?_

 _All of a sudden? He'd NEVER do it before._

Chung adjusted her glasses, staring hard at the old red panda. "Master Shifu - do I need to remind you that you are under sacred oath - to tell the truth no matter the consequences?"

Shifu nodded his head slowly. "I am aware of that."

Chung was obviously not satisfied, but was forced to relegate to another line of questioning. "Very well - Grandmaster Wei Ling, will have the next line of questioning."

The massive old rhino smiled evilly, taking the time to flash a death glance at Alf before addressing the table next to him. "I would like to call Master Tigress to the witness stand."

The crowd gave small cheers and claps as Tigress stood up in boredom. Alf was always impressed with how much appreciation she had gotten from the localites, even people beyond - Tigress was very much a household name, one that occasionally even rivaled Po's legendary fame sometimes.

In fact, their action figures were roughly the same price. Alf grinned.

"Master Tigress, please state your full name and age for the record," Wei Ling asked, the irony of this question's phrasing lost on him.

"Tigress. 22." she coolly answered.

"I would like your _full name_ and age _precisely_ in years, please…" Wei Ling asked again.

" _Ti - gress_ ," Tigress enunciated mockingly. "Twen - tee - to - "

"Alright alright I got it thanks," Wei Ling cut across.

Fierce laughter from the crowd, as well as from the rest of the Five and Po.

Alf grinned. The only good point in all of this legal nonsense was that _everyone_ seemed to hate it - including Tigress, Po, Shifu, the Five, Yu, and anyone else who were forcibly brought to the court and compelled to testify for a "case" against the Seeker that was little more than legalized defamation suits.

Wei Ling began looking at a scroll in front of him, clearly having written down his questions. "And how long have you kn - "

"Five years, like she said," Tigress let out with a smirk, stressing the pronoun as Alf scowled.

"Wait I'm sorry - objection," Chung started. "The witness pointed to a _she_ \- Master Tigress, who are you referring to?"

Tigress again pointed at the scowling Alf. "Lil' Anastasia over there."

"Sorry, who?" Chung attempted to clarify, now addressing the scribe. "Scribe, what did Mr. Ping say his name was?"

And Alf watched the poor scribe actually search for an _Anastasia_ in the record.

"Your honor, if I may - it was just a joke," Alf interrupted.

"Mr. Ping - you are under oath - "

"Yeah yeah I know, my name's Alfalfa, alright…"

"Actually I think her name might be Abigail," Tigress interrupted with a pretending stare. "I don't know. It changes based on my mood - I guess…"

"Ti... " Alf addressed, frustrated. "Now isn't really the time for practice your comedy routine…"

" _You_ try being in the middle of mastering one of the Seven Forbidden Techniques when you get _pulled out_ of training to _testify_ ," Tigress spat. "That won't piss you off?"

"It's not like I have a choice who _they_ pull and who they don't!" Alf addressed, referring to the panel of judges.

"This is getting to be a _big_ problem Anna," Tigress dismally vowed. "So many wasted trips…"

"Yeah, all 189 of them…"

"Scribe, could you please search for _Anna_ in the record?"

"Oh for Scroll's sake - it's a joke!" Tigress fired back, earning more laughter from the crowd. "Listen we've done this before so can we speed things up? Ask me another pointless question."

Wei Ling adjusted his collar. "And how - "

"How would I describe the defendant?" Tigress cut across, having been questioned this a million times before. "Competent. Reliable. Not a threat to the public…"

Alf smiled, knowing that it literally took an entire court case to make Tigress succumb to giving him a begrudging compliment. That was another useful plus to these things.

"Objection," Chung interrupted.

"Stand down Chung," Wei Ling fought. "I'm doing the questio - "

"It'll just be a moment," Chung forced. "Master Shifu - you previously testified that _you_ were responsible for overseeing the Seeker."

"I never said that," Shifu replied. "I _implied_ that he was part of our hierarchy - _you_ made that assumption."

This drew ire from the crowd, and the panel of judges as well. Shifu seemed to have known he had made a mistake, because he audibly groaned at delaying this torturous process even longer.

"I'm responsible for him," Tigress admitted with a sigh. "I'm his legally entitled - _master_."

Alf also smiled in satisfaction - watching the level of cringe in Tigress' face elevate past infinity. He gave Po a mental fist bump as the panda suppressed laughs across the table.

"Very well then," Wei Ling continued. "Could you give us a breakdown on how the Seeker is ensured to be - _non-threatening_ to the public… kept docile?"

"Shock collar around his neck, that could instantly kill him if we so choose, not to mention he's surrounded by literally seven of the best kung fu masters in the world…" Tigress mentioned, again to applause from the crowd.

"...plus I guess there's always _these_ things, courts and stuff," Tigress noted sarcastically. "I know _I'd_ be docile - or at least have brain damage - answering so many idiotic questions like this."

Again more laughter from the crowd.

Wei Ling frowned. "And you - you are _confident_ in your abilities - in the Jade Palace's abilities - to restrain and keep control over the Seeker?"

Tigress smirked. "I'd kick his ass any day, if that's what you're asking."

Again more cheers from the equally stupid crowd. Their awkward laughter bounced off the theater's high walls and ceilings, refracting back to Alf in annoying fashion.

"Ahem, I've outsparred you _more than_ once," Alf addressed with a glare.

"Mhm, what's the score now?" Tigress mocked, pretending to think hard. "100-1?"

"More like 87-14," Alf corrected, though he realized that sounded just as pathetic. "Still better than anyone else…"

"Oh please - I _gave you_ those match - "

"Order!" Wei Ling imposed harshly. "Ergh - thank you, Master Tigress - you may - "

Tigress had already sat down, rubbing her paws through her fur and playing around with her golden tunic - although Alf had always preferred the traditionally red and black ones.

"Grandmaster Sing will now do the last line of inquiry."

Wei Ling sat back in his regal chair, as Sing - an old ox that reminded everyone of the late Master Ox - stared into the defendants' tables.

"I call Master Po to the witness stand," Sing addressed.

A huge noise. Cheering. Screams of praise. Thrown roses. Alf sighed.

There was no denying it. Every time he had been summoned, and by extension - the rest of the Jade Palace - _no one_ got a bigger clap and appreciation than Po.

Nobody.

The panda cockily stood up, flashing Alf a sarcastic brow raise. Alf promptly flipped him off, as the panda smiled back.

"Please state your full - "

"ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING?!" a small sheep screamed from the crowd of citizens seated in the amphitheater. "EVERYBODY KNOWS HIM! HE'S THE DRAGON WARRIOR!"

Raucous applause burst again. Po kept up the cocky grin. To Alf's mild amusement, the Five and Shifu grumbled at their own table. Only Yu seemed pleased, flashing another eye wink at Alf.

"I suppose I can just ask you straight out… " Sing continued. "Master Po - you are 20 years old - do you believe the Seeker is a threat to public safety?"

"Nah," Po casually answered. "He's not a threat to anybody except _Mr. Weewee_."

Suppressed giggles from the Five and Po, as well as Yu. Shifu didn't seem to understand, while Alf snorted at the panda.

"That _never_ happened…" Alf groaned.

" _Mr. Weewee_ says different…" Po again giggled, as his entire table (sans Shifu) began snickering as well.

"Objection," Chung broke in. "Master Po, could you explain who is this Mr. Wee - "

"It's an inside joke by the Scrolls…" the panda sighed, realizing all of this was just inevitably delaying the process.

Chung stared hard at Alf. "Mr. Ping - I am getting the impression that you and your compatriots are not taking these charges - or this process - seriously."

Hushed agreement came in the form of whispers and head nods from the surrounding crowd of citizens.

"That's because we _don't,"_ Alf honestly reported. "Like you said - we've done this 189 times. Every time you bring some random-ass charge against me… then we have to waste a few hours of our lives, every week at least - answering to some dumbass bureaucrats who - "

Outbursts of anger from the crowd, as well as Grandmaster Wei Ling - who stood up and started unsheathing an axe behind his back. Chung managed to calm them all down again with more hand motions, addressing the Seeker with a deadly finality in her voice.

"Meeting adjourned. Your _follow up_ trial will be in a week."

"What a surprise…" Alf noted, having completely predicted this. "Can't say I'm lookin' forward to it…"

 _BANG._

And with the sound of gavel hitting wood, the meeting was over like that.

Not that the decision was unanimously loved. The crowd slowly pooled off their seats and onto the grand chamber floor - striding across large stretched of pale wood while most citizens took the chance to give Alf a last, dirty stare. The exits were opened as voluminous sunlight came crashing in through the gates, signaling noontime.

Alf was disappointed that he had missed lunch for this. He waited for the packed crowd and three judges to slowly exit out their grand amphitheater, watching the other table situated a bit farther from him with the Five, Yu, Po, and Shifu waiting in similar reasoning.

"Mr. Ping, Soo Lin here from _Chinese Daily_ ," a large female jackal let out, staring at Alf close to his podium - unmoved by the crowd exiting.

"Yeah Soo Lin - I don't really do interviews, alright?" Alf groaned.

"It's not an interview sir," Soo Lin corrected, walking closer whilst talking louder to speak over the sound of three hundred citizens shuffling out of a grand hall. "We represent a unique think tank of free intellectuals who are morally outraged by the treatment of Seekers in our society…"

"So you're some kinda new age, _hippy_ group, like half of the guys and gals in the Valley," Alf bemoaned. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to forgive the cynicism… I've dealt with scam artists who do similar things."

"I assure you, we only want to fight for your rights sir," Soo Lin assured with a smile. "Contact us at this address if you're interested."

The jackal handed him a small card, before disappearing into the crowd of citizens exiting the chamber. She was easily replaced by the rest of Alf's visitors - primarily, Yu, Po, the Five, and Shifu.

"Well _that_ was probably the worst one yet," Yu acknowledged, planting a quick kiss on Alf's cheek before sighing. "189 of these damn things…"

"Really must wear on your self-esteem, huh Alf?" Viper indicated.

"To be repeatedly criminalized in the press and in media…" Crane continued.

"Meh, this is the _New_ Valley of Peace now," Alf simply observed, smiling. "New age. Media-infused. Globalized. Who cares…"

"It all seemed to get worse after we took down Shen," Po recalled vividly. "Remember a month after Gongmen - we saw the Valley's first nightclub?!"

"I've been in there," Monkey grinned with a devilish smile. " _Entertainment's_ not bad…"

"This Valley has become freaking the new Gongmen," Yu observed. "No privacy here anymore…"

"Pervert…" Mantis spat, addressing Monkey.

"Mantis, you were there with me…"

"Don't let Shifu hear any of you idiots," Tigress quickly corrected.

Alf watched the red panda in question, talking with the ever-present Jade Palace messenger - Zeng. He seemed anxious and worried, then proceeded to walk quickly towards the group - brushing past many citizens.

"We apparently have visitors at the Palace," Shifu noted. "We better hurry back."

"Who?" Po questioned.

"Some enormous lion, and a few of his entourage," Shifu stated. "It looks important. Hurry."

Shifu led the way, as a highly confused Five and Po followed behind him - moving with the crowd as they all sought to exit the courthouse. Alf and Yu stayed back a bit, relishing the privacy of being in a crowd - yet feeling completely separate.

"You know, I'm just glad the courts haven't called up _Zhong_ yet," Yu affirmed. "Can you imagine the - "

"None of our buddies at the Jade Palace like him," Alf observed. "The courts would rip him to shreds in testimonies and character assassinations - considering his - history."

Yu frowned. "It was a brave move for him, you know? Coming here after everything that happened in Gongmen… and then living at the Palace…"

"Been two years since then," Alf sighed. "Everyone still freakin' hates him… it's a miracle Shifu's even allowing him to stay there…"

"His birthday's today, yanno?" Yu emphasized. "We should do something _nice_ for a change for him."

"Yeah… we should…"

Alf turned to follow the Five and Po now, who were a distance away and already beckoning him to follow close behind.

"Alf?"

"Yu?"

"Who was that jackal girl who was talking to you?"

Alf snickered, immediately thinking of a way to annoy Yu. "This thing we have - it's not an _exclusive_ thing, right?"

Yu cackled in laughter, following his gait off the podium and into the disappearing crowd. "Dream on idiot - you don't have the balls to cheat on me…"

"She gave me her address…"

"Oh I'm sure Alf… I'm sure."

The Seeker grinned.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _I think you can guess who the lion is. ;) (hint, it's the only lion I've ever mentioned in this fic)_

 _WEEEEE FINALLY ON KFP 3! Long awaited! (hopefully)_

 _Oogway and Omega know each other, surprise surprise. Yes, Omega's a Seeker - now as to what the "army" is - I hope the image is getting clearer… some major backstory is being implied here, that'll build up over KFP 3 - so enjoy speculations!_

 _A long running theme is whenever I have a "time jump" - like 2 years since KFP 2 finished - I want to sorta transition smoothly, give a slow build up into how life has changed for our heroes since Shen. I jump into the action, of course - but over time you'll see a lot of the setting and overall thematic points have changed… I hope it feels like time has passed since the end of KFP 2! (2 weeks in real life, but let's just pretend 2 years in-fic!) So no, I haven't forgotten any plotlines from KFP 2… I'm just slowly taking my time with them!_

 _In this chapter, it was important for me to show how the events of Gongmen significantly impacted KFP 3. You can't just show up with cannons, and introduce that into a world without there being consequences! The army forces and combat in China has changed, shifted more towards cannon warfare. The fact that Gongmen's events were so publicized - and so popular because it exposed Alf to the world - this meant that the Valley has changed!_

 _Second, the continuing legend of the Jade Palace would realistically transform the place - no less a small sanctuary, but more like a huge tourist spot where people travel to meet their fav. heroes! It's no longer some random, bumf- town in the middle of nowhere - it's a haven of tourism, industrialization, and modern thought. I am unsure how historically accurate this is, but frankly none of my fic is accurate to anything so enjoy, hehe! The metaphor I'd like to use is that picture this - the Valley has turned into Gongmen 2.0. And considering all the crazy sh- Po and company did - the evolution of their home town is not all that surprising.  
_

 _Thirdly, I wanted to advance the next stage of Alf's relationship with people. In KFP 1, everyone just hated him - in KFP 2, he was like this myth that people couldn't really confirm - in KFP 3, as we'll see - he's no longer some legend or story. He's real. And people deal with him the way I think real people do - esp. When dealing with prejudice - they try to screw him at every possible turn, hence the dirty tactics via courts and stuff. Important however, in every prejudiced society there ARE people who are more open-minded (like Soo Lin) - which will be a key theme moving forward. A LOT of this is drawn from historical parallels - and although I'm certainly the worst guy to do social commentary, I do think it adds a layer of fun (writing-wise) to the fic._

 _Point is, everything is connecting and everything's getting bigger and better. (I hope)._

 _Your support sweetens my heart the way sugar sweetens drinks. :D_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: I'm going to get back to the 3k word chapters. 6k should really be reserved for opening/ending/major chapters - stuff in between can be less dense. :)_


	37. KFP 3:2

" **Meetings and Reintroductions"**

* * *

"We've been standing here for over an hour…"

"Shut up Po."

"I'm just saying - the guy couldn't even notify anyone he had to leave for a bit?"

"Ergh…"

Alf groaned. Apparently, the lion in question - the supposedly "grand visitor" to the Jade Palace - had taken a little detour once he realized it would be a while since the occupants would come back… and had apparently taken off without notifying everyone, although promising to return. Zeng, who had been previously stalling for time while holding off any undue stress - had earned a fierce scolding from Shifu for allowing their esteemed guest to leave without proper etiquette. And as such, proper etiquette in return forced Alf, the Five, Po and Shifu to stand in the Main Courtyard - patiently waiting for the lion and his entourage to return. In the sweltering sun of noontime, with heat waves freshly passing over the Valley - everyone seemed upset.

Everyone except Zhong and Yu, whom both weren't invited to this. Alf had presumed that both were busy planning for Zhong's private birthday.

Alf sighed. He _had_ to talk to him later tonight.

"Wait!" Viper called out, excited. "Is that them?"

Alf, the rest of the Five, Po, and Shifu suddenly became attentive, focusing at the head of the wooden entrance.

Heavy footsteps.

Heavier than anything anyone had heard.

The swish of passing gusts of wind.

"By the Scrolls…" Shifu let out, mild amazement getting to him.

The individuals that entered - were _clearly_ not normal.

A male lion stood at the front of the group, flanked by two significantly smaller wolves - although that didn't say much, as the wolves themselves were about Po's size. The lion himself was enormous - well above Po's height, and even wider - but much more muscularly built. His head was squared and fierce - with a brilliant, long, dark mane extending from all sides. His clothing was simple but bold - a long, golden robe trimmed with a faint mountain logo. The lion's paws were huge and thick, with striations and veins running from the thick knuckles almost immediately.

He was, for all intents and purposes - the most physically intimidating individual Alf had ever seen.

"Sheesh," Mantis chirped up, jaw hanging while standing atop Po's right shoulder. "This guy makes Tai Lung look like a pipsqueak."

"I bet he eats other masters for food," Alf silently whispered.

"I bet we'd break our own limbs attacking him," Crane noted.

"He's quite a specimen, huh Tigress?" Monkey addressed.

Tigress merely kept an aggressive stare at the newcomer, face visibly hardening - puzzling the rest of the Five and Alf. Po chuckled for a brief moment, the intensity of her face completely feeling-in-character.

The lion and his two wolf companions stopped in the center of the courtyard.

The lion's voice was deep, and powerful.

Commanding.

Yet restrained and gentle.

"Grandmaster Shifu," the lion smoothly stated. "It is an honor."

Shifu struggled for words, clearly feeling at least a bit intimidated. The lion turned to address the rest of the waiting masters.

"As it as an equal honor to meet - Masters Crane, Viper, Mantis - the Dragon Warrior - the Seeker of the Valley and - "

He paused at Tigress' name. He obviously knew it, but he settled himself with a smile. Tigress stared coldly back.

"Well - it is a true honor to meet all of you," the giant lion finished.

"Yes! Greetings - erm - " Shifu attempted, trying to hide that he didn't recognize the newcomers.

"Wang," the lion offered simply. "These two are my companion travelers."

The wolves beside him simply nodded in their black robes, clearly not intent on revealing their names. Alf felt a bit reminiscent, as if he had remembered the name Wang somewhere before…

"My apologies for leaving you and your people to wait," Wang insisted, flashing a brilliant smile. "When we arrived here before - and had not seen anyone, _at home_ \- we left to explore the Valley for a bit."

"That's quite alright," Shifu attenuated. "I trust you found the Valley - hospitable?"

"It has _changed,_ has it not?" Wang questioned, staring at the Five with a distant curiosity. "It is enormous and - _modern,_ now."

"Factories, banks, and a lot more, Master Wang," Crane interrupted. "It has its positives and negatives…"

"I am _not_ a master," Wang clarified. "The organization I am a part of - requires us to relinquish all worldly titles."

This was the point where the Five exchanged awkward glances with Po and Alf - all standing in line in regal poise despite knowing exactly zero information on the new arrivals - and they sincerely doubted Shifu knew anything either. The only one seemingly resistant to any interpretation was Tigress - who merely stared coldly, perhaps even harshly - at Wang. Another point of awkwardness was how relaxed he was around Alf - he hadn't even bothered to have been "shocked" or "awed" at seeing a Seeker for the first time - which as the Jade Palace could attest, was the normal reaction by literally _anyone_ who walked into the Courtyard and saw Alf.

Not Wang however. Just _that_ alone made everyone feel they were dealing with someone much, _much_ beyond their league.

"Well, we were busy erm - attending a criminal trial," Shifu silently let out, glancing at Alf. "For - one of our own."

"Yes," Wang acknowledged, staring at Alf. "The _Seeker_. I am well aware with this country's - political _attitudes_ towards these - topics."

"What - erm - forgive me - organization do you hail from?" Shifu tried.

Wang stared at Shifu pleasantly, but with focus. "The Yongshi."

Alf's heart skipped a beat.

Now?

After all this time?

Two years of absolutely no communication - _nothing_ \- since Shen had been defeated - now suddenly these three show up?

Alf almost snickered. He wasn't sure why Wang hadn't revealed that he had Hafthor communicate with Yu before, and in all likeliness had been the one to send the ancient, magic scroll so long ago - but he wasn't complaining. If Shifu ever got word that Alf was still searching for answers on his past - he might shock him into unconsciousness.

To Alf's relief, the rest of the Five and Shifu, along with Po of course - looked even more confused by Wang's statement. Mostly, they exchanged nervous glances with each other, clearly having never before heard of the name.

But now, Alf wished he could speak to Wang privately - and was amazed that the lion hadn't even acknowledged him properly - given that they had conversed nearly two years ago via letters.

If only Yu were here.

"Forgive me again," Shifu began. "I am still not familiar with the organization you uh - named."

"Neither should _anyone_ be, if we do our jobs correctly," Wang offered with a small smile. "Master Shifu - to put matters short - we are a highly covert, international organization. For reference - we have corresponded with your late Grandmaster - Oogway."

"Oogway lead the uh - _Yongshi_?" Po blurted out, not able to control himself. "He was a part of it?"

"Yes," Wang confirmed. "He trained under Brother Hafthor, one of my former students."

 _So that's what they called themselves,_ Alf thought. _Brothers and sisters… definitely sounds like a creepy cult._

Seeing Oogway's name coming up however - was a genuine surprise to Alf. In fact, the statement shocked nearly everyone in the Courtyard. Shifu was still struggling with the fact that Oogway had kept a clandestine organization secret from him, wrestling with newfound assumptions about the late Grandmaster that he had never questioned before.

The Five, Po, and Alf were basically thinking something different, however.

"Oogway was - just a _student_ under one of _your students?_ " Crane blubbered out, jaw dropping. "He - but this is Grandmaster Oogway we're talking about! He - he invented kung fu!"

"You all think _kung fu_ is the only way of life - is the only way of combat in this world?" Wang asked sarcastically, although gently. "Your _Oogway_ was far from a leader - in fact, he was one of our lowest-ranking members."

Shifu began shaking his head. "I - I don't understand…"

Wang seemed to acknowledge the amount of confusion everyone was going through, so he extended an olive branch.

"Grandmaster Shifu, it is not our intention to come all the distance here and inform you of many things you do not know - " Wang started. "We all have enough time for explanations later. But for now - I would like to ask that you provide lodging for us - for the next few weeks."

This caught Shifu off-guard, who was half-way too intimidated to say no but also deeply curious as to why - a random, secretive group whom no one had ever heard of before - had come to the Jade Palace, and asked to stay there for a while.

"I understand completely if you refuse," Wang immediately added, sensing Shifu's hesitation. "If not given lodging here, we will just rent a motel in the Valley - one of the great advances of commercialization, indeed…"

"No!" Shifu immediately recalled. "It's just that - well, this is most unexpected…"

"As it should be, sadly," Wang observed with a frown. "If our enemies got word of our move to the Jade Palace - _horrible_ consequences might arise."

The vagueness in his statements was beginning to annoy Alf - who had _plenty_ of experience dealing with people who were not effective at communicating what exactly the _insert phenomenon or threat_ was. It was almost like a running joke, in his eyes.

"Forgive me um - _Wang_ ," Shifu admitted, leaving out the "Master" as Wang was pleased. "But you must understand my confusion: three strangers show up at our Palace, with no previous communication or knowledge on either side by either party - now ask to stay in our well - home."

The enormous lion gave out a hearty laugh, ruffling his mane. "I can assure you we are your allies, Shifu - we have only come as a courtesy, to warn you of a great threat about to change China - perhaps your world."

"I see," Shifu continued, having heard this dialogue multiple times before. "And I assume that this threat will take - time to discuss, and plan?"

Wang nodded. "The Yongshi have been gathering information about this - threat - for ages. We believe it is a force - an entity from a realm different from ours - who might be too powerful to defeat alone… even for us."

Alf felt a cold shiver run through him. A realm different from their own sounded enormously powerful - and it was confirmed as the Five and Po exchanged more nervous looks.

Wang seemed as serious as serious could be.

"Whether or not you let us stay here," Wang noted. "You will find that we will eventually have to unite our forces to combat this threat - in time."

Shifu tightened his face, holding the gravity of the lion's words. The two wolves to either side merely stared back at Shifu, offering no comfort nor reassurance.

"It is your decision, and frankly," Wang emphasized, smiling again. "I can completely understand a hesitation towards giving us refuge."

"You and your - people can stay here," Shifu let out, weakly smiling in return. "Are they the only ones coming?"

The two wolves shook their heads, but Wang spoke for them.

"We are merely the scouts," Wang emphasized. "The rest of our group - at least a hundred strong - will come later. But by then we would have set up camp somewhere away from the Valley - perhaps closer to the Wu Dan mountains. I assure you - this arrangement is temporary."

"Cool," Po blurted out, as Shifu mildly scowled at him. "So - are you guys - do you guys like - have a _leader_?"

"The Yongshi have no leader," Wang admitted, although to slight eyerolls from his two wolves. "But - if you are seeking a point of - reference, perhaps the oldest, most experienced member - that would be me."

Again the gasps came from everyone. Shifu if possible, felt even more intimidated - while the Five, Po and Alf merely stood in line and kept their stare softly at the huge lion. Even though Alf knew a _bit_ more about the Yongshi given that he had communicated with them two years ago - or Yu had, at least - he couldn't imagine hearing all of this stuff for the first time, as it had likely been for Shifu, the Five, and Po.

"Very well…" Shifu admitted. "...please, make yourself at home. We can discuss more - as you said - in time."

"Thank you, Grandmaster," Wang admitted sincerely with a grin, using his gargantuan paw to dwarf Shifu's extended fingers. "This generosity is truly remarkable."

The two wolves had already begun removing something from their waistbands, pulling out canteens of water - drinking most of it one gulp. Alf wondered where exactly they were coming from, and how the journey had been.

"But if I may so selfishly ask for a bit more generosity," Wang asked Shifu. "May I speak with Master Tigress?"

This was even more odd. Every pair of eyes in the Courtyard swiveled onto the completely silent master, who stared at Wang with a cold, detached gaze. The lion smiled genuinely at her, clearly trying to communicate something that everyone else couldn't be privy to.

"You haven't changed one _bit,_ you dumbass," Tigress brushed aside.

Everyone watched Tigress' sudden expression change and Wang's immediate return laugh with high suspicion and even greater confusion.

"Ironically, seems like you've gotten ever more beautiful," Wang cooly replied. "I'm still hurt you know - you never took me up on that _second_ date."

"Once bitten, twice shy," Tigress slyly responded. "And not to mention - we were just six."

The confusion was so intense that Alf now wondered if Po would suddenly reveal himself as the Crane's father, or some other equally random, crazy declaration. While everyone - especially Shifu - took turns staring slack-jawed at Tigress and Wang - Alf took note of Po. The panda, after deducing Tigress and Wang's likely previous relationship - now let a mildly jealous scowl shine through.

 **. . .**

"ARGHHHH!"

Kai was screaming all the way down.

 _THUD._

"Agh!"

It took him a while to recover his bearings. After laying on the ground for a while, shaking the dust off his head and just beginning to understand his surroundings - the massive bull took it all in. It had been 500 years since he had stepped foot in the Mortal Realm, so he was greatly disappointed to see that his surroundings had not changed that much - the Chinese grassland was very much a part of its landscape, with large stretches of green flora intercut by massive trees and thick bushes. Very little buildings were around him, which made Kai question whether the teleportation back down to the Mortal Realm had really worked.

His first instinct was to try and communicate with Omega again, but some reason - despite the power imbued in his blades by the Seeker, along with several other more "malicious" physiological and spiritual weapons - the Seeker himself had made no attempt to contact Kai. Worse still, Kai was unsure of how to get back in touch with the Seeker - he was, after all - intending to kill him at some point.

Kai was genuinely surprised. Omega usually was very keen on talking to him, and had been relentlessly talking to the bull as long as he was in the Spirit Realm - but as soon as Kai had begun the transition back to the Mortal Realm, Omega had ceased all contact - no mysterious voices, no aching pains in Kai's head, not even a whisper of a feeling that someone was watching.

Omega, as the bull was guessing - was busy doing something else.

"Excuse me, are you lost?" came a new voice.

Kai swiveled up from his crouched position. To his surprise, a large, bulbous yet aged panda peered down at him curiously - and to Kai's further confusion, a small but sprawling village was perhaps five hundred paces behind the panda, complete with mud and clay homes and rudimentary roads stitched together. It was clearly made in a rush, almost as if the inhabitants were trying purposefully to keep their village out of prying eyes.

And instantly Kai remembered Omega's words. He acted on them, more out of gratitude than agreement.

"I'm Li Shan," the panda gently offered, bending down with a smile. "We don't get many visitors. I - AGH!"

Kai shoved his blades into the smaller panda, cutting through the thick body effortlessly. Li squeaked in horrified surprise, holding onto the blades as Kai growled at him.

"I _know_ who you are," the bull spat, smiling. "But I want to know who you can _be_."

Green energy radiated from the blades, enveloping the panda as every bit of Li Shan was completely smothered in a green coating. The last traces of the actual panda underneath wept miserably, body forcibly succumbing to the wrapping coat of green energy.

 **. . .**

The Rock.

What a relief.

After a long and strenuous day, crippled with a criminal trial that lasted multiple hours, then a visiting, mysterious lion who called himself Wang and was a part of the Yongshi, and of course hours of brutalizing training that could have only been devised by Tigress - Alf was looking forward to meeting Zhong and Yu. He was also keen to not mention _anything_ about what happened today except Zhong's birthday - he could bring up details like the Yongshi, Wang, and everything later - and privately - to Yu.

He was most pleased with the location that the fox had elected to celebrate the wolf's birthday - the same rock where she and Alf had met, and had innumerable dates since - which was ideal, as it shielded both the Seeker and the wolf from prying eyes, which were a lot more than perhaps two years ago.

While traversing the rocky path leading to the Rock, Alf turned around.

Even the skyline of the Valley was different at this distance - it more looked like Gongmen, with factories and rising towers shoved into the sky, with bustling activity even close to midnight, or the time now - thousands of citizens hurriedly belted from one building to another, illustrating the busy life at the Valley.

Alf turned back, feeling the ever-present grass blades tug at his wrapped feet as he moved closer to the center of the large space. Yu and Zhong leaned against the boulder, immediately noticing as Alf approached - and like a silent, foggy bodyguard - the immense Wu Dan mountains framed the back of the boulder.

"So tiny problem," Yu started, as Alf reached the Rock. "I might have - sort've - miscalculated his birthday."

Zhong merely shook his head with a tiny chuckle.

Alf groaned, shaking Zhong's paw immediately. "It's not today?"

"It'll be _tonight_ ," Zhong corrected, usual gruff tones coming through. "Midnight, actually."

"Even better then," Alf smiled back, leaning against the rock as he sat down - the fox and the wolf followed suit. "Yanno - I've been meaning to meet you. It's just - these past coupla days.."

"Yeah it's been rough," Yu admitted. "These shitty courts and these freakin' trials…"

"Not to mention Tigress' _torture-levels_ of training," Alf let out, feeling his leg cramp up in memory bizarrely. "Five thousand push ups, fifty rounds sparring - just with her - ergh…"

"Two _years_ training under Tigress," Yu sighed, rubbing her face. "I think I'd kill myself."

"She'd probably side kick ya back to life," Zhong noted, smiling. "She feedin' you alright kid?"

Alf merely chuckled. "Shifu still makes her underfeed me - but it's just agony knowing I gotta get up and get my ass beat by her every day…"

"I'm sure it'll pay off in the long run," Zhong remarked, smirking.

Alf sighed, leaning back against the Rock some more. Yu, Zhong, and him collectively turned above to see the bright, perfectly circular moon shining down - they all guessed it would be just a few minutes before midnight would cross, and _tomorrow_ would begin… then they switched their attention to the Jade Palace looming off on a tall cliff in the distance - then at the Valley, aura completely unrecognizable to the three of them now.

"Man, this place has changed so damn much since I got here," Zhong remarked, eyeing the smoke and lights practically being ejected from the Valley's rooftops. "Hey kid - you remember the night I got here?"

Alf snickered, as Yu shot them both quizzical looks.

"You were asleep, remember?" Alf addressed to the fox, who recalled this and groaned. "Dude - remember when Shifu walked out?"

Zhong keeled over in laughter. "Bro - when - when this random wolf shows up at midnight - and - and just says…"

"... _hey Master Shifu, Alf said I could stay here_ _forever_?" Alf mimicked, using his gruff voice. " _Is that cool?"_

The Seeker fell over laughing at his own joke. Yu stared in wide-eyed shock at Zhong, who was snickering himself.

"You _really_ said that?" Yu questioned.

"Ha - ha - n - no…" Zhong breathed out, trying to control his laughter. "How it really went down was more like - I reached the Valley, and Alf was politely waiting for me - and Shifu comes out of nowhere and once he sees me…"

"...he screamed for the Five to give him _backup_ ," Alf recalled, lost in thought. "Would have damn near killed Zhong…"

"Alf managed to talk them out of it, and tell them that it was all _his_ idea…" Zhong finished, then broke into a sad glance at Alf. "But boy - Shifu sure made you _suffered_ for that one. He put _the thing_ on max, right?"

Yu watched Alf sadly trace his fingers around the metal collar - the one that had been looped around his neck for five years.

He didn't even notice it anymore. She held his hand in comfort.

"Ten minutes," Alf remembered, face suddenly stony and hard-edged. "Pretty sure I blacked out after a few seconds, but guess that wasn't enough for him…"

All three fell into an awkward silence. Yu tried to start the conversation again, shifting the topic.

"Hey, whatever happened to that old goat?" the fox questioned. "Yanno - the Soothsayer?"

"I dunno, she never came with me when I said I'm going to the Valley…" Zhong clarified, lost in thought himself. "... said some mystical shit about us going _two different ways_ or something…"

Alf nodded his head, having also wondered that occasionally.

"Hey bro," Zhong suddenly interrupted. "Ever think of moving away from the Valley? I mean they're putting you on trials, you've got the collar, everyone just shits on you…"

"Believe me, I've thought about it but…" Alf began, at a loss for what exactly to say. "I guess it's my home… "

He looked back at Yu, who smiled with her cheekbones at him.

"... can't imagine anywhere else," Alf finished, grinning back.

"Well _I could,"_ Zhong noted, sighing deeply as he looked up at the stars. "Nothing has changed for _me_ in two years…"

"You're doing alright..." Yu tried to be gentle.

"The hell I am," Zhong spat. "No one's hired me in two years after Shen. Everyone in the Palace treats me like I'm some damn plague - I mean, the only reason I'm even alive is because I get to sleep in the kid's _shithole_ of a room and mooch offa his food."

"My room isn't _that_ bad," Alf tried to correct.

Yu immediately shook her head. "Dude - you literally live under the sewage pipes. Trust me - it's bad. It's like half the reason why I like meeting you here rather than - yanno… near the Palace."

Alf smiled, watching the moon peak above his field of vision. "Well - guess it's time guys."

The wolf and the fox looked up at the moon's position, confirming it. Alf expectantly turned to Yu, who brought out a small, silver cake and laid it to rest atop a platter Zhong had brought - all overset by a small candle, which was really just a wick Alf had stolen from the Palace and ignited against some flint.

The flame crackled gently.

"It ain't much, but it's enough," Zhong noted. "Thanks guys - feels good knowing that - that I have at least two friends at the Valley…"

Alf and Yu smiled, watching the wolf blow out his birthday candle as if it had been the rarest, most prized gift in the world.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _A nice, quiet chapter - but still pushing things forward. I'm going to make an effort to publish 3k word chapters rather than 6k ones - I feel like the 6k ones could easily be broken up, and don't really have much value more than the shorter ones - and I don't wanna bore everyone too much - definitely from feedback I've received in some of the longer chapters in KFP 2. :D_

 _Other than that, it's a pretty lowkey chapter. Keep in mind, I like building/bridging the time gap for the first few chapters - then getting gradually more intense towards the halfway point - then super intense by climax. Still haven't forgotten any of the plot stuff from KFP 2, don't worry. :) In fact, it's already starting to build, hehe..._

 _Zhong has - as people can probably tell - not had the best life since moving to the Valley. More details to come in future chapters, but again the parallelisms between his and Alf's backstories and feelings are SUPER COOL things to think about..._

 _Note: I was (as per usual) perusing reviews and in giddy fashion - then I realized that the transition to "modernized" Valley has been met with a somewhat polarized reception... which is good to know! Rest assured, the "modernization" aspect of the Valley really only changes combat and demographics - it doesn't radically alter the plot or characters as much as some may think... this won't be Borderlands meets Kung Fu Panda, if that's what anybody's dreading. :D Kung Fu, martial arts, and good drama will ALWAYS be the focus of this fic. :D_

 _Here's a better summary:_

 _1\. World of talking animals, with basic warfare_

 _2\. Cannon warfare dropped into the middle of it all_

 _3\. World warfare changes significantly, and the Valley gets more famous as a result of the events of KFP 1 and 2_

 _My version of Kung Fu Panda 3 just has cannons and courts, if that makes sense. :)_

 _Support is simply MARVELOUS._

 _~TW_


	38. KFP 3:3

**"The Choices We Make"**

* * *

As it turned out, the Jade Palace's mysterious guest was even more mysterious than he had let on.

The two wolves that accompanied him were pretty much impossible to talk to, so they were quickly dumped as a source of useful information. Wang the lion however - was every bit as pleasant and gracious as his demeanor suggested. He would fix and prepare his own breakfast, make brief small talk with whoever was in proximity to him - then sit in the Palace's guest room all day with his wolf companions while the Five, Po, and Alf trained. Compared to the look of Wang's gargantuan body and hard, muscled frame - he had a strangely disarming personality. Thus, everyone was eager to see the lion show off his skills in a training session - and had in fact, invited him numerous times to one - but Wang had gently refused, and had retreated back to the guest room. Interestingly, Shifu would approach and talk at length in his room - but this was never revealed by the old Grandmaster, and his students knew better than to intrude on something seemingly confidential. If there was a need for everyone to know - Shifu would tell. Everyone was guessing that the ambiguous "threat" that Wang had been referencing - hadn't come up yet in conversation. Noticeably however, Shifu had always looked quite "spooked" - as Monkey had put it many times - once walking out of Wang's room, at times appearing shocked beyond belief. Again however, Po had assured everyone that if Shifu wanted to tell them something - he would.

The real issue was Tigress' persistent silence when interrogated by the rest of the Five, Po, Yu, and even Zeng on her previous relationship with the enormous lion. Every time in breakfast or lunch, or even sometimes if someone was brave enough to step into her room - and proceed to fire off questions on their previous relationship - Tigress would either change the conversation, or punch away her interrogator with a nonchalant swipe of her paw. In many ways, she was acting even more closed off than usual - which was particularly frustrating for the panda, whose obvious and blatant jealousy over the significantly older, more powerfully-built lion was beginning to bleed through in every conversation. It was notable that Tigress had shown absolutely no interest in Wang since he had arrived - yet the lion himself had gone out of his way to show her extra courtesy, complete with long smiles and occasional winks.

And on another normal day, with Shifu overlooking everyone in the Training Hall perform sparring sessions with each other - Wang had made a surprise cameo, beckoning Tigress to the side as she groaned - eventually only acquiescing to the demand because of Shifu's insistence. No one complained however, seeing as taking Tigress out of a sparring session meant that the whole thing would be a lot less one-sided. Exceptions existed: Po watched in anger as Wang and Tigress went off to the back wall of the Training Hall, watching from a distance as sparring took place between Alf, the panda, and the rest of the Five in the center of the Hall as Shifu looked on.

"I can't even _convey_ how glad I am to run into you again," Wang offered gently, smiling at Tigress. "I thought we'd never meet again."

"You totally overstated how much we knew each other," Tigress forced, watching Mantis soundly flip Po over and slam him onto the ground. "We knew each other at Bao Gu - that's all."

"We had a splendid _date_ too at the orphanage," Wang reminded her, grinning sheepishly as he watched Viper pelt Monkey into the air.

"We were barely _six_ …" Tigress growled. "... that doesn't _count_. And you _left_ before I got adopted…"

"Awww…" Wang vocalized, mocking her. "Is that why you're mad - because I left a girl _hanging_?"

Crane spun into the air, slamming down on Viper's tail to force a tap from her.

"I'm mad because you keep acting like we know each other - we _don't_ ," Tigress firmly assured. "You got adopted by some creepy _cult_ before we could even _start_ to know each other."

Tigress ran a sarcastic eye over Wang's towering frame. "And they apparently injected you with some magic, super-grower potion - or something. You were a _runt_ at the orphanage."

Wang smiled, wincing as Monkey struggled to fight off Mantis and Po by himself. "Yanno after all these years - I still love it."

"Love what?" Tigress forced, annoyed.

"Love your _icy, prickly, don't talk to me_ attitude," Wang noted. "Nothing more attractive about a woman than the feeling that she could _knock you out_."

"Maybe you should take the hint," Tigress spat back, smirking.

Alf had begun sparring now, immediately engaging with Po first at the center of the Training Hall. Shifu as usual - preemptively kept his finger on the device, the button - the one that could instantly send the Seeker into spasming bouts of pain when he wanted.

"Anyway, ancient history is _not_ why I pulled you aside," Wang recalled, watching the sparring session with much more interest now. "My real concern is with your Seeker friend over there."

"What, Angelina?" Tigress laughed, smirk coming even more strongly now. "What in the Scrolls could you want with her?"

Alf flipped the panda over his back, swiveling around to kick him ferociously - the panda flew out of the small, painted red circle to land flat on his back near Shifu.

"I wasn't _kidding_ once I mentioned the existence of a _threat_ about to touch our world," Wang reinitiated. "It's strong. Powerful. More dangerous than anything our - our organization can stop alone."

"What, your creepy cult?" Tigress affirmed, grinning as next Mantis and Viper tried to engage Alf, two on one. "Yeah, I can't see how - "

"I'm part of a _legitimate_ international group," Wang forced, sighing as Alf did a split-kick to knock both masters out of the ring. "My predecessors talked with Oogway! We were watching when Tai Lung ransacked the Valley! We kept watch on Shen…"

"Funny, I don't seem to remember getting _any_ help from you _or_ your stupid cult when all of that stuff was going down," Tigress emphasized, as Monkey got into the ring with Alf. "Very legitimate indeed…"

"We only interfere for the _big_ stuff," Wang stated casually.

" _Tai Lung_ wasn't big enough?" Tigress spat, angered now. " _Shen_ and his army of death cannons _wasn't_ big enough?"

"Your _team_ quite handily defeated both threats, as I recall," Wang countered, surprised as Alf elegantly swung to the side and spin-kicked Monkey into the ground. "You _didn't_ need the Yongshi's help."

"And what - we _need_ you guys _this_ time around?" Tigress asked, again smiling in pride as Alf did a double punch inspired by her own Double Dragon Strike on Monkey. "No thanks. Whatever the _stupid_ threat you keep talking about - we can take it. _Alone_."

Alf handily punched Monkey off his feet. Groaning, Shifu ordered the combined efforts of Crane, Monkey, Viper, and Mantis - basically the rest of the Five - to begin sparring with the Seeker.

"Not _this_ one," Wang noted sadly. "To be honest - I don't even know if our _combined_ efforts will be enough."

"Can you drop the vague, mystical nonsense and just _say_ it?" Tigress growled, annoyed. " _What_ are we up against?"

Wang sighed, watching Alf defend skillfully against several combined attacks and kicks. "A - A Seeker army."

The words hung on Tigress' ears, confusing her. Alf continued the spar, finding it difficult to repel all their attacks at once.

"ACCURACY OVER SPEED ANABELLE!" Tigress roared, irritated with Alf's apparently "poor" performance. "DON'T MAKE MY TRAINING METHODS LOOK BAD!"

Perhaps in fear of sparring with Tigress herself, Alf fought harder - managing to score a few punches against Crane and Monkey, although Mantis and Viper were still giving him trouble. Shifu waved Po into the mix, as the panda began a furious spar against Alf as well.

"The Seekers are _dead_ ," Tigress concluded confidently. "All except for Agatha, of course…"

"Whatever this _girls' names_ joke is, _drop_ it now," Wang forced, a bit angered now. "This is serious."

"And I'm _seriously_ telling you," Tigress insisted, annoying herself now - as Alf spun Po around like a bat. "There _are_ no Seekers left, except for ours - is that what you've been scaring Shifu with? A Seeker army coming to invade our world…"

"No, I've been telling him _about_ Kai," Wang corrected, a bit curious as Alf managed to jump over Po's back, swiveling some more. "An old - but evil - friend of Oogway's."

" _Kai_?" Tigress asked, confused. "Never heard of him."

"Apparently neither has Shifu," Wang noted. "But the Yongshi has been tracking this threat for a time - it seems like one of the Seekers has sent this _Kai_ down to our world."

"Heh," Tigress let out, clearly not taking this seriously. "And how powerful is this _\- Kai_?"

"Very much so," Wang enforced. "He's been given many of his powers from the Seekers. And, with his mastery of chi… he would need the combined forces of the Yongshi _and_ the Jade Palace to defeat him."

"Great story," Tigress cut across casually. "I still don't believe a _word_ you say."

Alf spun around, jumping into the air to engage Crane and Monkey. He grabbed both, barreling down to the ground to send a small shockwave across the red circle, stumbling all the masters back.

Tigress grinned in pride. "I taught him that, ha!"

Wang watched the lengthy spar continue. "Listen Tigress - we don't have much time. By the Yongshi's predictions - Kai will reach here _very_ soon. And in a year or so - the Seekers _will_ arrive on our world."

"And do you have _any_ proof of all this mystical garbage?" Tigress forced, sneering. "Anything other than the Yongshi said so, Oogway said so, my left ear told my right ear…"

"I can show you and your friends _all_ the proof, the research, and _all_ the work the Yongshi have been doing - in tracking this threat," Wang noted, tone suddenly grave. "Trust me - you won't deny it once we tell you."

Mantis powerfully slammed Alf into the ground, as the rest of the masters and Po proceeded to savagely begin kicking him on the ground. As Shifu would have it - sparring was to go as _hard_ as possible.

"Let's say I believe your crazy story about the Seekers and about this weird _Kai_ ," Tigress emphasized. "What does _any_ of that have to do with Alf?"

"The Yongshi _need_ him," Wang simply stated. "We need him - as soon as possible - to come with us."

"Come with you and your creepy _cult_?" Tigres queried in suspicion. "Heh - you've got a better chance of getting my father to give out chocolates..."

"I beg to differ," Wang rejected, confident in his assumptions. "I think this boy knows _all_ too well the _reality_ of his situation here. Convincing him shouldn't be hard..."

"What reality?!" Tigress roared back, voice threatening to break past the whisper tone they both had been maintaining up until now.

Alf spun around on his hands, kicking all masters powerfully out of the ring. Shifu growled, ordering the masters and Po to get back into the ring immediately. The sparring session commenced, but already Alf had gotten the upper hand - already disabling Mantis straight away with a punch, then proceeding to out-spar the other three masters - and even Po.

" _Look_ at him," Wang supported, a bit in awe as Alf skillfully began winning the exchanges against five simultaneously, omni-directionally attacking masters.

"He's _well-trained_ ," Tigress corrected, a bit of pride again slipping through. "You should be going after _me,_ by that logic."

"No…" Wang refused, shaking his head as Alf jumped over all the masters and begun another fierce fight. "... his speed, his athleticism, the power… you can't _train_ that. He's been different from day one, hasn't he?"

"No," Tigress firmly denied, albeit a bit unsure of her answer. "I - I don't know. Maybe."

"Precisely the problem!" Wang emphasized. "From what I can see - Shifu underfeeds him. The Valley and most of China _despises_ him. He sleeps next to the _sewer line_ of the Valley, for Scrolls' sake… and yet…"

Alf punched powerfully, launching Monkey into Crane - both masters flew out of the ring. He spun to his right, kick simply too fast for Viper and Mantis to react - they smashed into Po, forcing all three masters out of the ring.

Shifu, growing increasingly upset with all of this - immediately turned on the button.

Everyone's faces - even Wang's - molded into quiet sadness.

Alf cried in pain. The blue sparks came back, bursting from his collar.

He rolled on the floor, begging for mercy.

Shifu watched him in agony for a bit.

Then some more.

Then only when Alf seemed just at the tip of losing consciousness - Shifu turned the collar off by releasing his finger off the button.

Alf stopped squirming, blue sparks gone. He merely shook in the center of the ring.

"Again," Shifu silently commanded. "Don't go _easy_ on the Seeker this time."

The rest of the Five and Po shrugged, waiting for Alf to get up before proceeding back into the ring.

And just like that - the spar continued.

Like it was routine.

"...and yet," Wang recognized, shocked as Alf still managed to spar evenly with everyone else. "The boy's grown quite strong... "

"Not stronger than _me_ ," Tigress confidently noted, smiling as Alf kept up a good fight.

"For now," Wang emphasized. "How long till you think _that_ milestone will get broken? One month? One year? Three years?"

Tigress merely kept quiet.

"He's _destined_ for more, Tigress," Wang offered. "Destined to do _great_ things. Greater than just fighting Shifu's snow-leopard son, greater than fighting the peacock, or even fighting _Kai_ … he's _destined_ to help us stop the Seeker army just a year away from destroying our world..."

Tigress watched Alf - still very much a young boy in her eyes - effortlessly repeat one of many kicks she had taught him, as all five masters again launched out of the ring, Po's belly shielding most of his fall ironically.

And just then, Tigress noted that it wasn't that the rest of her comrades and Po were going "easy" on Alf…

...it was that he was just moving too fast for them.

His attacks were too forceful.

His technique was too damn good.

This wasn't the first time.

It had been happening for a while.

Shifu of course, repeated the button press as Alf began squirming - the rest of the Five and Po _powerless_ to help.

" _Look_ at the life he's leading here," Wang forced, watching in disgust as Alf writhed in pain on the floor as everyone looked on. "Constantly starved, tortured, hated, _imprisoned_ by a society that doesn't understand his value… the Yongshi however, know _exactly_ what he is."

"He's just a kid," Tigress countered, desperate to not see Alf this way.

In truth, a lot of her suspicions about Alf were being confirmed: it seemed every single sparring session she had with him - although she soundly won most exchanges - Alf was learning with every attempt.

The first time she had sparred with him, the day after his first "date" with the fox and the month they had come back from Gongmen...

...she had beaten him, without even trying.

Now, after two years of Alf training under her - he won at least once out of five rounds.

And although she would never admit it to him - she was fighting hard. Tigress usually went easier on any other opponent, even Shifu - but never Alf.

Every single time she had sparred with him, Tigress was fighting at maximum.

Maximum aggression. Maximum speed. Maximum skill.

As if she was fighting some reincarnated Tai Lung.

And yet, Alf _always_ managed to win at least one round out of five.

And she was still training as hard as she possibly could in between their spars.

He was simply growing too fast to keep up with.

"This Valley…" Wang broke Tigress' monologue, happy to see Shifu finally release the button as he ordered the rest of the Five and Po to spar with Alf again. "... this country… maybe even this continent…"

"...it's just holding him back," Tigress noted, gradual realization slowly coming to her.

She didn't know why, but it felt a bit sad to admit that to herself. Tigress had always assumed that Alf was still the same fourteen-year old kid back at the Dragon Warrior Tournament, crying as Shifu pinned his arm against his back.

But reality was hitting hard. And so was Alf.

"At the end of the day, he will - and will forever be - a Seeker," Wang silently noted. "And as much as he would love to just blend in - it seems like he's rapidly approaching the point of _no_ return. _Exactly_ the point where the Yongshi can come and guide him..."

"Guide him into what?" Tigress asked in frustration.

"We can guide him to achieving his _destiny_ ," Wang simply retorted. "Perhaps the only chance our world has against the Seeker army - indeed, the _only chance_ \- must lie within that eighteen-year old boy. It must lie in his skills, his body, his past... _none_ of which have been even _remotely_ explored yet."

"You're saying..." Tigress started, staring at Alf's rapid sparring movements with interest. "... wait, what are you saying?"

Wang merely smiled.

Tigress fought against it. She couldn't see Alf as anything other than the "inexperienced newbie" - the eternal punchline, or perhaps more instinctually - just her begrudgingly subservient student.

"He's the _only_ Seeker on our world," Wang reinforced with a grin. "Who has _no idea_ why he's here, how he got here, or what happened to the rest of the Seekers... you _really_ think he's destined for anything _remotely_ close to an ordinary life?"

Tigress sighed, head hurting a bit now. "Why - why are you telling _me_ all of this? Shouldn't you be talking to Alf?"

Wang watched the Seeker _again -_ for the third time - successfully hold his own against five other masters. Po in particular was getting frustrated, fighting even more aggressively against Alf.

"Under Chinese law, Seekers aren't considered - unfortunately - _living creatures_ ," Wang stated sadly. "And as such, they fall under Chinese property law…"

" _Property_ …" Tigress let out, disgusted.

"Well, anyway under property law…" Wang continued. "... _possession_ and/or guardianship I suppose - retroactively falls on the eldest citizen with legal ties with the… _property_."

Tigress sighed. " _Shifu_. Of course… He's never gonna let Alf go with you guys… or even let Alf think about it, really…. "

She groaned even more, watching the red panda strictly observe Alf's sparring session - but Tigress was surprised to see Wang shake his head.

"No, not Shifu…" Wang corrected. "... if Shifu has informed me correctly, he transferred the title of the Seeker's _master_ to someone else…"

Tigress got confused again.

Then shock ran through her.

Followed by an uncomfortable awkwardness.

" _Me_?" Tigress let out, shocked as Alf successfully kicked Po into the air as Crane managed to subdue the Seeker's arms. "No… no! I - I - I just _train_ him! I don't do any - "

"Under Chinese law, training the Seeker qualifies as a legal tie to him," Wang concluded confidently. "Sorry if you're just now figuring this out."

Tigress didn't feel sorry - it felt disgusting.

Revulsive.

 _Owning_ another creature seemed - wrong.

She was shocked the law even allowed that.

She was even more apprehensive at where this dialogue was leading into.

"The _Yongshi_ need a contract from you, signifying it's okay to - to transfer guardianship to us," Wang promised. "Trust me - it's the _best_ move for his future. For his destiny. For helping us stop the Seeker army."

"What the hell can _you_ and your stupid _cult_ give him?" Tigress spat, an odd protectiveness shining through.

Wang huffed, as if the question seemed foolish. "An actual room. Good food. Better training. A life away - away from all the bigots of the world..."

Tigress was buying absolutely none of this - although Wang's confident demeanor was throwing her off. "You haven't talked to Alf yet, haven't you? That's why you're telling me."

Wang sighed. "Obviously if you're a reasonable person - you'll want to mention all of this to the Seeker - but just for your information - under law, we can repossess him as long we get your approval… his willing consent is a mere formality - although one we would obviously like to get from him."

Tigress held the words in her head, bouncing them around. Her gaze still fell on Alf, who was now deliberately fighting less hard to prevent himself from inevitably out sparring everyone - clearly trying to avoid Shifu's button presses. This sadly backfired, as Shifu immediately noted the reduced effort and with a few button presses and crackles of electricity - Alf was fighting at his fullest again.

Tigress definitely saw what Wang was saying.

Shifu. The Valley. The horrible food - and Alf's horrible room.

The courts. The trials. The new attention Alf was getting.

The vicious cycle.

Alf was caught in it.

He had been caught in it for five years.

And despite taking down Tai Lung, Shen, and countless enemies and bandits, saving an insane amount of citizens' lives - nothing had changed.

Alf's life in the Valley was just as horrible as it had been back at the Dragon Warrior Tournament.

"And what life could he lead with the Yongshi?" Tigress asked, weight of these realizations coming in waves.

Wang sensed that in some way, Tigress was just stalling for time, clearly too stressed to say anything definitive now. "A better one."

He didn't want to press her. "It is _still_ yours - and ideally - _the boy's_ choice."

Tigress nodded, agreeing with the huge lion.

"Just - just think about it - a _lot_ rests on his shoulders… though he may not know it now," Wang emphasized. "And - and just think about the _life_ you want him to have. If you're fine with having him shocked, underfed, pissed on in the court, and beaten up every second of his waking life…"

Alf continued the spar, magnificently somehow managing to keep up rapid movements as even the rest of the Five and Po were beginning to tire.

Tigress sighed.

"... then by all means, you both can reject my offer flat out," Wang admitted.

But then the lion had a knowing, but gentle smile flash at Tigress. "But if you care about him - even in the tiniest portion of that cold, beautiful heart… you'll think on it. Promise me that."

Wang stared straight into Tigress' normally ferocious amber eyes - taken aback by their relative softness now.

"Well, to be honest I don't care that much what happens to him," Tigress lied, trying to resume her usual standoffish and cold demeanor - but Wang saw right through this.

"Of course you don't," Wang grinned mockingly. "But you don't have to _care_ about someone to have their best interests at heart."

Wang smiled, watching her amber eyes flicker gently in mild apprehension - perhaps even fear.

He turned to leave, walking out of the Training Hall double doors before a sudden instinct compelled him to turn back, staring at Tigress - who merely stood in place, dumbfounded at Wang. There was shock in her expression, assuredly at the revelations as Alf continued his hard spars, managing to again outstrike Mantis and Crane, and was rapidly approaching that point with Monkey, Viper, and Po. Shifu as per usual - seemed irritated by the Seekers' prodigious talent.

"He reminds me of you," Wang addressed to Tigress.

"Obviously," Tigress emphasized with a mild smile. "I've been training him."

"Apart from the training," Wang clarified, gazing at Alf spar even harder. "The ferocity. The heart. A lot more than just punching or kicking."

Tigress gave a sad, stressed nod at Wang as he finally turned to walk out of the doors. She kept up her confused, and utterly lost gaze at Alf - who was powerless to stop his superior fighting skills from bursting through.

"He _is_ my student," Tigress finally whispered to herself, wondering when exactly the feeble boy she knew five years ago had been replaced by the young man fighting in front of her.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _One long scene. Plenty of details. Plenty of foreshadowing. Plenty of symbolism. And I hope - some genuine emotions._

 _I'll just say this - this chapter is VERY important for KFP 3._

' _Nuff said._

 _I wanted to tell that at some point - there will be a turning point in Alf's story. In his journey, so to speak. At some point - as SO MANY FANS have pointed out - has he ever thought about leaving the Valley behind? Has he ever thought about doing something else?_

 _Well the previous two arcs (KFP 1 and KFP 2) I hope - served as great buildup to this one scene._

 _It was all just under the surface._

 _Now everything's turning._

 _The Choices We Make._

 _Hehe._

 _And next chapter will have some good action - so enjoy. :D_

 _Support is fantabulous. LOL._

 _~TW_


	39. KFP 3:4

" **A New Threat"**

* * *

Tension was rising.

By and large, it had been a normal day at the Jade Palace - training was going as usual, Wang and his wolf friends (along with Shifu) discussed confidential information at great lengths in the guest room, and Po entertained everyone with his usual combination of great cooking and insightful humor.

It had all changed quickly.

Zeng - breath wheezing and chest heaving from fear - had run into the Dining Mess, telling everyone _immediately_ of an "army" of green "monsters" who were attacking the Valley. With a stern scolding from Shifu, the bird started speaking logically: that some green-colored masters - apparently the infamous Master Badger Twins, among others - were wreaking havoc in the Valley.

And just like that - the Five, Po, and Alf were off.

No time had been wasted. Alf was particularly angry that the "monsters" had been spotted in the Xiangzhu sector of the Valley - this was the commercial hub: with the most buildings, the most citizens, and the most likely place where there was high activity. The fact that such a crowded, industrialized sector of the city was under attack wasn't too big of a concern for Alf - it was more the media coverage, the exposure that him being out would inevitably lead to, along with the usually incompetent rhino patrols.

The patrols were a mixed bag. As long as someone "trustworthy" from the Jade Palace would accompany Team Jade during a mission (usually this fell on Tigress, or sometimes Po) - the patrols would have no issue allowing the team to help out with whatever threat was sieging the Valley. If Alf was present however, there were far more questions - and this usually translated to lost time, and more dangerous moments for the citizens.

So it was imperative that Team Jade do this quickly.

Alf - along with the Furious Five and Po - ran across busy streets in the hot sunlight of noontime, as citizens hustled past them - clearly running away from something. They were even scared enough to the point where they weren't giving the usual "LOOK IT'S A SEEKER!" glances at Alf - instead opting for a quick dirty glance before running away. The Valley of Peace's new architectural style - with high-rise buildings and thick rooftops, and plentiful decorations with expansive streets - had made the chaos even more dangerous and hard to navigate.

Team Jade stopped at the center of Xiangzhu square - or the restaurant commercial circle. The tiny noodle shop of the late Mr. Ping had long since been demolished and replaced with a renovated, massive series of fancy restaurants complete with ornate Chinese decorations.

Alf took note of the details.

Two patrols of rhino warriors - one engaging the assuredly true "green" warriors in the center of the large space - while the others stood behind as backup. To Alf's surprise - the normally incompetent rhino patrol had managed to evacuate all of the citizens - leaving the usually busy city center empty, except for the combatants inside the commercial square.

Tigress approached the closest rhino warrior, who was watching the fighting with fear. "Guard! What do we have?"

The rhino seemed absolutely dazzled to see Tigress and the rest of the Furious Five - alongside a confident Po - stand behind him. The second squad of rhino backup guards seemed incredulous as well.

"Master Tigress! And the Furious Five! And the Dragon Warrior!" the young guard squeaked out. "Commander Jinping! It's an honor to finally - "

"Save the introductions kid," Po cut across. "We've gotta take down those green guys! Mind moving your crew outta the way?"

Crane, Mantis, Monkey, and Viper nodded gently at the clearly starstruck rhino guard - although unfortunately, his eyes fell on Alf sighing a bit further away.

"The Seeker…" the rhino guard spat, a bit annoyed. "... Master Tigress, is this fleshli - "

"Yes yes he's with us!" Tigress forced, tired of having to do this every single time Alf had accompanied them on a mission. "Give us the space to take down the threat - before your men get their asses kicked!"

At the center of the square, the ten or so green warriors effortlessly punched the rhino guards into the air - slamming them down with airborne kicks.

Commander Jinping seemed to understand how badly his squad needed Team Jade.

"Very well…" Jinping noted, waving away the crowd of rhino warriors. "Men! Retreat! Team Jade will handle this!"

The rhino guard forces gently began a backwards, defensive walk - although they still kept a protective circle to make sure the green masters couldn't stray too far from the commercial square.

Team Jade deployed immediately. The best strategy - as always - was division of labor.

Po and Alf engaged the green Master Badger Twins - while the rest of the Five engaged arduously with the eight remaining green monstrosities. Tigress as per usual was heading off three or four of them on her own - while the rest of the Five settled to fighting the strays.

"The Master Badger Twins!" Po screamed, utter fanboy forcing itself through as one of the badgers flipped the panda over his head. "With their crushing double gong techni - OOF!"

The other badger slammed into Po, making him nearly collide into Alf. The Seeker jumped above the panda, noting that even the Five - perhaps even Tigress - were having trouble fighting off the other green monsters: in fact, it almost seemed as if the green monsters were somehow replications of other famous masters: Thundering Rhino, Master Croc, as well as other famous kung fu masters (all of which were making Po fanboy insanely) seemed reincarnated in some strange, green mold.

Perhaps Zeng was right.

"Po!" Alf called out, surrounded by the Badger Twins. "Massive Belly Devastation!"

"YEAH!" the panda roared.

In a smooth motion, Po grabbed Alf's arms and tossed him into the air - quickly leaping to his height to allow the Seeker to spin Po around further - and Alf caught his arms and spun even faster. Like a whirlwind, they managed to gain an incredible fifty feet into the air - then Alf spun around with a final downwards kick, slamming Po down with enormous force.

 _CRUNCH._

It felt like an explosion. Po's belly had come plummeting down, directly on the Master Badger Twins - though to his great surprise, he only felt a bit of resistance as the masters were crushed under his belly - then a puff of green smoke, and Po's belly devastated the raw ground, letting loose a cloud of dust and smoke.

"What the - " Po let out, confused to see no one around.

Alf landed gently behind him. "Where'd they go?"

Po and Alf exchanged confused glances. The dust storm brought on by their technique had cleared - exposing the whooping and cheering rhino guard patrols on the perimeter of the commercial square. Alongside, the Furious Five were also alone and in another sector of the square - looking at each other in confusion.

"What the - where'd they all go?" Alf questioned, enormously confused. "Did - did they just disappear after we hit them?"

Po looked around, indeed finding no green monsters even remotely in sight.

"Son!"

Alf swiveled around, trying to pinpoint the source of the new voice. He already knew it couldn't be one of those green monsters - this one actually sounded alive.

He saw the point of the noise.

Alf shook.

He blinked twice to make sure he wasn't confused.

Alf stared at Po - as the panda looked at the source of the noise with even more confusion.

Perhaps even mild shock.

A large panda - perhaps larger than Po himself, and significantly older and gruffer - dusted a few particulates off himself. His clothing was nothing you could buy in the Valley - it seemed very much like a villager's robes, or farmer's.

The older panda spoke with a authoritative yet gentle tone.

"I'm Li Shan - _Lotus'_ father."

The shock of seeing another panda was subverted for a moment - as Alf, the Five, and even Po proceeded to wonder who the hell _Lotus_ was.

 **. . .**

"Uh - can you erm - just say that again?" Shifu asked.

"I am Li Shan," the panda repeated, tired. "I'm Lotus' fath - "

"Yeah, we got that part," Monkey finished.

The staring contest had been going on for a few minutes without stop.

The journey back to the Palace had been by and large - uneventful. Although the new panda spouted off a variety of dialogue in the effort to engage everyone else - Team Jade, and most of all Po - had urged him to stay as quiet as possible, and not speak any further. The first quick lines of speech - which completely expressed utter shock at seeing Alf for the first time - was inevitable, but after Li had been allowed the customary "Oh my goodness that's a Seeker" time - Team Jade had pressed him to shut up. Perhaps it was the proximity to the green monster attack, or perhaps it was the need to camoflauge nearly anyone that looked like a panda because of how alarmist citizens in the Valley were now - but there was no use arguing.

An actual panda had come to the village.

With nothing green about him.

So Li Shan was brought to the Dining Mess of the Jade Palace - for lack of a better room - to be first sat down, and ferociously interrogated. The older panda had already complained that he hadn't had enough food on his "arduous journey" here - something Po could sympathize with - but it was still awkward enough to see two pandas in the same area that the food had been stowed away. For now, Shifu and some brave members of the Five asked Li some questions, which the panda had given the exact same answers too.

"I'm Lotus' father."

"Lotus is the Dragon Warrior?!"

"MY SON IS THE DRAGON WARRIOR!"

"Wait whaddya mean I can't eat anything yet?"

"Is that cute tiger girl your wife, Lotus?"

"ENOUGH!" Po let out, the constant stream of questions and answers finally seeming to overindulge him. "Just - everyone stop - talking…"

The Five were present, surrounding Li. Shifu stopped asking questions, as Po began sighing heavily - shaking a bit. Alf leaned back against the back wall of the Dining Mess - not exactly sure of what Po was going through. He got an answer fairly quick however, as the panda disappeared from the entrance and carelessly knocked loose several foodstuffs from open cupboards.

Alf had heard a few crying noises before the panda had gone.

Li sat on one of the chairs in the Mess, putting his paws on the table in a mock-confused manner. "Well - _that_ wasn't how I was expecting to be received by my son…"

"Try being in _his_ shoes Mr. Shan," Tigress emphasized, leaning a forearm against a chair close to the dining table. "Imagine _losing_ your adoptive father to some psychopathic snow leopard - then thinking your _real_ father was killed by Shen and his wolf army so many years ago."

"He's felt the pain of losing _two fathers_ ," Alf noted, sighing while making a mental note to talk to Po as soon as possible. "He'll - he'll take time to adjust to all this."

Li Shan merely stared in awe at Alf, again the annoying feelings that everyone in the Valley often had when staring at him.

"I still can't believe," the large panda noted, grinning. "I'm _actually_ talking to an _actual_ Seeker! I mean I'd heard about the stories but never in person…"

"Yes yes moving past that," Shifu insisted, focusing on Li again. "Zeng has confirmed to me that you - Mr. Shan - are indeed Po's - ergh, I mean, _Lotus'_ father."

"He can call himself whatever he wants!" Li let out heartily. "I mean - _Lotus_ isn't what the people know him as - the people know him as PO! The Dragon Warrior of Legend!"

Li did a few elaborate kicking moves suddenly, which carelessly smashed into a few cupboards behind him. The Five groaned while Shifu face-palmed - Alf chuckled however, seeing where Po had gotten his incessant fanboy enthusiasm from.

"Sorry about that…" Li noted, grimacing at the holes in the wooden cupboards. "I can pay for - "

"Never mind that, Mr. Shan," Shifu emphasized. "I uh - well, you'll have to forgive my manners… we've had a number of _unusual_ visitors to the Palace in the past couple of days…"

Shifu paused, sighing. "... but the fact remains - you are the Dragon Warrior's father, and our honored guest… please, stay in Po's room as long as you like…"

"I rate the accommodations here as _exceptional_."

Everyone turned to see the new voice.

Although the Five, Shifu, and Alf were only moderately surprised - it was Li who showed the best reaction, jaw literally dropping to the table he was resting on.

Wang had appeared. He was followed by Yu and Zhong.

The enormous lion - who towered over even Li - walked closer to the table where everyone was around - extending his huge paw near the panda with a smile. Yu had found her way to Alf's side, leaning her head against his shoulder as she purred slightly - she was likely quite tired from something. Notably, everyone kept a fierce, harsh stare at Zhong, as the wolf shly stood at the entrance - unsure of whether to fully walk in.

"Wang," the lion introduced, as Li shook his paw in amazement. "Fellow _intruder_ and unwanted guest at the Palace."

Li laughed heartily as Wang smiled back. "You - you're huge, dude!"

"So I'm told," Li emphasized, turning his attention to Shifu. "Now - if I may have the room - I have something important to discuss with all of you."

"We just found out _this_ individual is the Dragon Warrior's father," Shifu noted, pointing at Li who beamed with enthusiasm. "Can't it wait?"

Wang shook his head sadly. "I am afraid not - this is me finally _coming clean_ to all of you about the _threat_ …"

Shifu instantly understood what that meant - gulping audibly. He straightened himself, pointing at the Five, Alf and Yu as they collectively sat down on chairs near the table.

"Perhaps it's best if you leave, and rest up," Shifu addressed at Li, who groaned. "We can discuss this - another time."

The older panda, although disheartened, gleefully nodded and got up - taking a final moment to smile broadly at everyone before proceeding out of the Dining Mess, brushing past the defensive Zhong - who visibly hid his face from the panda. Alf hoped for that at least some time - he would avoid talking to Po.

"Perhaps it's best if _you_ leave as well, _wolf_ ," Shifu growled, watching Zhong sigh in the corner.

"Yeah, go chase your tail or something," Mantis spat. "Or wait - why don'tcha go kill _Li_ too? Just like ya did the rest of the pandas!"

"Yeah go do that!" Monkey sneered, clearly angry.

The rest of the Five flashed Zhong just as harsh of a stare, as Shifu refused to intervene. Only Alf and Yu watched the wolf in sadness as he sighed in defeat, turning to leave the Dining Mess.

"Actually _I_ invited him to this," Wang emphasized. "I found that his backstory was - _riveting_."

Although the Five and Shifu clearly wanted to challenge this very badly - particularly Shifu, who had a red vein throbbing through his forehead at Wang's statement - they were obviously all too afraid of Wang's imposing stature and voice that they merely grumbled.

"Fine, come here then _wolf_ ," Shifu uttered, again trying to inject as much hatred into his tone as possible.

"Try not to _kill_ any babies on the way here," Crane muttered under his breath.

"Or slaughter any civilians," Monkey forced.

Alf was preoccupied with a different issue - just why in the hell was Li not recognizing Zhong's face?

Wasn't that perhaps - the only face Li should have remembered?

The _one_ face which had managed to kill his wife and nearly kill Po so many years ago?

Zhong _clearly_ remembered, hence the shyness in showing his face to Li.

Why didn't the panda recognize him?

Zhong dragged his feet close to the table, keeping his head low and sad as the others glared at him.

"I called you all here to let you know that my organization, the Yongshi…" Wang began, as Tigress audibly groaned at the name. "... has been tracking the existence of an enormously powerful bull - an old friend of Oogway - known as _Kai_."

Tigress found this bit of news confusing, seeing as she had heard it before from Wang. However, she was unsure why he was leaving out the Seeker army bit - that had been the first thing Wang had told her back at the Training Hall!

The rest of the Five, Alf, Yu, and Zhong reacted predictably - with confused expressions. Only Shifu managed to shake his head knowingly, having clearly discussed this in his secretive conversations with Wang.

"Don't be surprised if none of you have ever heard of him," Shifu emphasized. "I did not as well the first time Wang told me."

"You said he's a friend of Oogway, right?" Crane interrupted, shaking his beak in disbelief. "That means he's one of the good guys, right?"

"Far from it," Wang noted with a frown. "Although he was once Oogway's brother in arms - it appears that he took a _dark_ turn - forcing Oogway and the pandas to banish him to the Spirit Realm."

"Wait, what?!" Viper let out, a string of coincidences just hitting her like lighting as the rest of the Five looked on. "Pandas? When did the pandas come into the picture?"

"They are masters of _chi_ ," Shifu noted, deep in thought. "It is a little-known historical fact, but one that remains a fact…"

"Let's not overstep the obvious," Tigress butted in, clearly being needlessly aggressive against Wang's assumptions. " _You_ say that some bull named Kai - who barely shows up in historical scrolls - was defeated by Oogway _and_ the pandas. And now - we have Po's _panda_ father just _magically_ show up."

"It _is_ a big coincidence," Yu agreed with, shaking her head.

"Yeah and look at the _timing_ ," Alf insisted, pursing his lips. "Like literally the _day_ we figure out Po's dad isn't dead - you come in and say the big _threat_ was defeated by the pandas."

Zhong quietly nodded his head, although another glare from Shifu shut him down.

"I understand this all may be confusing," Wang agreed, shaking his head. "But the Yongshi have been doing extensive research on this ancient threat - I assure you that it is all quite real."

"What _kind_ of evidence?" Tigress butted in aggressively, flicking her whiskers in annoyance.

"Eyewitness accounts," Wang opened firmly, silencing Tigress' dissent. "Ancient scrolls. Signed instructions and words from Oogway - from the Yongshi - and much, much history."

Shifu gulped, watching as the Five and Zhong stared uneasily at each other. Although all of them knew to a degree that there surely was _some_ reason why Wang had made the trip here from Scrolls-know-where - it had never dawned on them that the threat that the lion was referencing was some superpowered, chi-mastered, creature who seemed to be even friends with Oogway himself. Tai Lung was a warrior, Shen was a mastermind - yet no one in the Jade Palace had come close to fighting something this - out of this world.

Literally a spirit warrior.

"He's come back from the Spirit Realm," Wang noted. "We need to unite - and start acting in defense of his eventual arrival."

The lion watched the Seeker and the fox stare at the Five and Shifu - all of them exchanging nervous glances. Tigress alone stared hard back at Wang - perhaps confused why the lion had omitted mentioning the bull's connection to the Seekers - but Wang knew that kind of discussion needed to be broached piecewise, as soon as the immediate threats were taken care of.

He eyed the Seeker, who stared sternly at the ground as the fox on his shoulder yawned. Wang wondered if he could get a chance to speak with Alf alone - taking care of Kai was enough for the rest of the Jade Palace to handle, but dealing with the Seeker army was something only Alf could be privy to - at least immediately.

"Perhaps we should discuss more of this in your room, Wang," Shifu noted. "Show my students the things you've shown me."

Wang nodded, agreeing completely as the Five proceeded to talk furiously amongst themselves. "Indeed - but for a moment, could I borrow your Seeker, please?"

Shifu returned a brief nod.

Alf seemed surprised to be singled out. Yu abruptly moved her head off him, smiling sarcastically at him before walking over to the rest of the Five and Shifu, already lost in deep conversation at Wang's new information. Zhong inched a bit closer to Alf, perhaps feeling embarrassed to be standing for so long.

Wang walked closer to Alf, disappointed to see Tigress fiercely walk closer - almost protectively - towards Alf.

"Alf, is it?" Wang asked kindly, peering down at the much smaller Seeker. "I would love to talk with you for some - "

"Actually he needs to go train right now," Tigress forced, pinching Alf by the scapula harshly.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Alf let out, squealing. "Tigress stop pinching so hard!"

"Let's go _train_ ," Tigress forced, dragging Alf away as he apologetically looked at the bemused Wang.

"I am so sorry sir," Alf let out frustrated, eager to talk with Wang as well, then flashed a hateful glance at Tigress. "But I guess I'm going to go _train_ now…"

Wang huffed, yet completely expected this from Tigress. "Perhaps another ti - "

"Master Shifu!"

Everyone stared at the newcomer. Shifu watched in irritation as the anxious and alert Zeng fluttered into the Dining Mess, stopping near Shifu with a wheeze.

"Alf's been called to trial again," Zeng let out.

Collective groans from nearly everyone. Although this sort of thing happened often enough where it wasn't completely unexpected - it was the forcible requirement of all of them appearing as witnesses which really irritated everyone.

Shifu however, had other ideas. "Such horrible timing… very well. Seeker, go attend your trial - if they ask for witnesses like they usually do, inform them we are all on extremely important Jade Palace duty."

The Five laughed and cheered. Anything beat testifying in Alf's stupid, never-ending trials - even if it meant researching a dangerous spirit warrior bull who might destroy all of China.

"Take your warriors and inform them everything I have told you about Kai," Wang notified. "I will accompany the Seeker to his trial."

"He doesn't _need_ anyone to go with him," Tigress spat, again protectively locking Alf closer. "She's a big girl."

Alf groaned, confused where all this seemingly random hatred from Tigress towards Wang was coming from. Ordinarily he wouldn't care - but for some reason, she was taking it out on me - almost as if he was some proxy for some issue they had between themselves.

Alf didn't care either way.

"Tigress, it's better that you stay behind and listen to all the evidence the Yongshi has been gathering," Shifu ordered. "Wang - feel free to accompany our Seeker to his trial - although I fear you might find it quite boring."

"I'll survive," Wang noted happily, then turned to Alf - already sighing. "You think your _master_ will be alright with that, Alf?"

Alf flashed a quiet glance at Tigress, who kept her paw gripped on Alf's back - but she eventually relented, sighing before joining Shifu and the rest of the Five as they started walking out of the Dining Mess.

" _Don't_ make small talk with him, Allison," Tigress addressed to Alf. "He tends to _overshare_ things."

Alf had no idea what this meant. "Um - okay…"

Wang watched Tigress reluctantly follow the Five and Shifu out of the Dining Mess - assured that they would all be walking to the guest room where Wang had stockpiled most of his evidence on Kai. He hoped desperately that they would absorb the information quickly - time was short.

Zhong kept his head low, waiting for the Five and Shifu to leave before sadly following behind.

Wang watched him go in confusion. "So - what's _the wolf's_ story?"

Alf and Yu merely exchanged sighs.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _I'm back! It's been 2ish weeks? :() Not that much but still! Expect weekly updates!_

 _But other than that, not much to say. The story continues._

 _Also a bit too lazy to write more notes._

 _Lol._

 _Support is literally amazing._

 _~TW_


	40. KFP 3:5

**A/N:** _ **Since I've started to post a little more irregularly now - feel free to re-read past chapters and refresh stuff! Even I had to do that from time to time...**_

 _ **Also WOOOT 200 reviews. Crazy. I don't say it enough but - thanks to everyone reading now. Y'all are the best. :D**_

 _ **kk I'm gonna stop blushing on with the fic!**_

* * *

" **Permanently** **Past-Tense"**

* * *

He breathed heavily, chest wheezing against his deep sighs. For the most part, Po was anticipating something worse - as if his mind would start to break, or his body seize upon itself - but the deep breaths just kept coming back, haunting the large panda with ferocious noises.

Po paced in his room, kicking idle objects and scrolls around the floor in stress. It hurt him immeasurably to leave the Dining Mess like that, but he couldn't bear to be there a second longer - watching that panda…

… his father?

 _No_ , Po refused. _My dad's… dead…_

It couldn't be processed yet. All he knew is that talking with Li any more would -

"Son."

 _Damn it_ , Po immediately responded internally.

The large panda - well, the smaller large panda - swiveled around to see an even bigger panda standing at Po's bamboo doorway. Li Shan appeared morose yet disarming, yet Po didn't feel comfortable with him in the room.

"I understand how you must feel," Li spoke, deep tones falling on Po's ears. "The others told me not to visit but…"

Li walked closer, smiling gently at Po. "If you want me to leave - I can do that."

Po held the panda's gaze for a while. He observed his clothing - clearly village robes, and a bit worn down. There was even a massive, almost obstinate sense of style that Li had attempted to force onto his leg in the form of a band. A straw hat completed the outfit, making the larger panda almost alien-like to Po.

"You - you _never_ tried to find me?" Po wheezed out, shaking slightly. "After - all - this - time?"

Li gulped, moving his head down. "After Shen destroyed my - well, _our_ \- village… I ordered your mother to send you as _far_ away from us - as possible."

"To protect me," Po understood - yet not at all satisfied.

Li nodded slowly, almost as if waiting for Po's affirmation. "Yes - and when news came that you - had already been taken in by someone - Mr. Ping…"

"You didn't want to butt in and start a fuss," Po again completed, tears threatening the tip of his eyes. "I - I understand…"

The reality of the situation was that Po could predict pretty much most of Li's responses and reasoning - he just had no idea how to tackle those feelings other than start a vicious cycle of crying, getting angry at Li, understanding his viewpoint, then getting angry again. It was unfair to Li.

Yet Po had the feeling numb through him.

"I love you, son," Li forced now, hugging Po over the shoulders with a gentle grip.

And although Po didn't quite believe it yet, he was determined to try.

"I love you Dad. Thanks for finding me."

 **. . .**

"My goodness - how long do we have to wait for these things?"

" _Lots_ of time," Alf reiterated, groaning as he stood with Wang in the center of the large amphitheater - waiting for the unusually empty courtroom to proceed with the trial. "There's usually more people though…"

Alf was genuinely confused. Most of the times he had been summoned to trial, the amphitheater was packed - just hordes of citizens waiting for the moment where the Grand Council could finally "indict" Alf. Now there were just rows and rows of empty wooden seats, centered on a small podium where Alf stood, waiting for the Grand Council to make their appearance in front of him - on the green, dragon-embellished podium of their own. At the very least, the Seeker was happy that none of the Five, Shifu, or Po had been dragged into it miraculously - Alf was in particular concerned that Po should be given lots of free time alone, given all the crazy events that had just occurred.

"When do these um - _Grand Council_ members make their appearance?" Wang asked in curiosity, staring at the empty green podium in front of Alf.

"Who knows…" Alf sighed in exasperation.

Wang shot the Seeker a bemused smile. "It must wear on you."

"What, the trials?" Alf returned with a smirk, captivated by Wang's thick mane. "Nah - you get used to…"

"I mean everything," Wang noted. "The trials. The double looks. The constant attention…"

"Yeah well," Alf sighed, groaning. "Like I said - you get used to it…"

"It's gotten worse after Shen, hasn't it?" Wang deduced astutely. "I can imagine how a random _Seeker_ just bursting into existence and defeating an overlord peacock would go down…"

Alf felt a bolt of inspiration hit him, suddenly turning to Wang. "You - I don't know if you know this but - I'm the one who wrote all those - "

"The letters, I know," Wang smiled, as Alf grinned back joyfully. "I'm - sorry I had to keep you in the dark for so long… we, the Yongshi - had to make sure you were _real_."

Alf really didn't care about any excuses - he was just happy to have been remembered.

"The last time we spoke via letter two years ago," Wang started, ruffling his whiskers. "You seemed much more interested in your _past_."

Alf chortled, thinking back on all the hours and sleepless nights that Yu and himself had spent, particularly when Shen was still around - all in pursuit of finding Alf's history.

"Yeah, I gave up on that stuff," Alf huffed, shaking his head. "At some point - I dunno. Just realized I might never figure out what my past was…"

Wang smiled, almost knowingly. "What if I told you there was a way to find out?"

Alf raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"What if there was a way to change your life - and find out who you really are?" Wang offered gently.

Alf grew more interested. He was struggling to repress all those feelings two years ago - the sense of isolation from everyone else, not knowing who he was, the frustration of not finding anything - he just didn't want to end up disappointed again.

"What are you saying, exactly?" Alf queried, shooting a nervous yet hopeful glance at Wang.

The huge lion merely smiled again. "Perhaps now is not the best time, and I am not the best person to suggest but - talk to Tigress."

Alf almost cackled, wondering how she was relevant. "About what?"

"She'll know what I'm talking about," Wang offered gently. "After she tells you the _thing_ \- you might want to discuss it with anyone you care about. I hear the fox is your girlfriend?"

Alf smiled, mind quickly flashing back to all the nights spent under the starry sky, on Yu and his boulder just on the outskirts of the Valley - kissing under the warm blanket of night.

Good memories.

One of the few things that kept him going.

Her.

Always.

"Yeah," Alf simply agreed, smiling to himself.

"Good to see you making a halfway decent life for yourself - even under such… treacherous conditions for Seekers…" Wang mouthed off.

Alf wanted to press more questions, but was distracted by the thunderous clap of wooden doors opening roughly to the side - as three grandmasters made their way to the elevated green podium in front of Alf: a sheep, an ox, and a rhino, all wearing regal golden garments. A small, nervous scribe followed close behind them - taking a seat next to Alf as he waited to start writing down everything.

The grandmasters sat down with a flourish, as the sheep began to speak. Wang took the opportunity to sit down next to Alf, keen on observing.

"Case recurrence: 190," Grandmaster Chung noted, making a small mark on her scroll. "Grandmasters…"

"Blah blah blah," Alf cut across in boredom, trying to resolve this as quickly as possible so he could go back to the Five and Shifu, to talk about the mysterious Kai. "You all hate me - and I hate you. Blah blah."

"IGNORANT FOOL!" the ox - Grandmaster Sing - roared. "ONLY SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN - "

"He's right, please simmer down Judge Sing," the rhino - Grandmaster Wei Ling - let out in irritation. "We've done this enough times where we can skip the _I hate you, you hate me_ routine…"

Alf felt pleased - having a judge agree with him (even on how much they all hated him) sounded good. Even Wang chuckled beside him.

Sing sat down reluctantly as the sheep Chung continued questioning.

"A recent report indicated that you've been harboring a wanted _criminal_ named Zhong," Chung noted, emphasizing yet another predictable line of inquiry as Alf groaned. "Scribe - could you please read the charges against former Commander Zhong?"

No matter how many times he had heard it, Alf still was surprised by the "commander" title - hard to believe that just two years ago, Zhong and Alf were basically trying to kill each other.

"Zhong, wolf - " the scribe let out in squeaky tones, adjusting his glasses in anxiety. "Primary murder. Primary genocide. Primary betrayal of Chinese loyalty. Known associate with the late warlord Shen. Committed thousands of killings, burnings, executions…"

"Yeah he was a bad guy," Alf cut across, feeling uneasy every time he heard this. "He's changed."

"And how can you be so sure of that, Mr. Ping?" Chung shot quickly, pursing her lips. "If it were not for Grandmaster Shifu's plea for the wolf's forgiveness two years ago - a plea that was given very _reluctantly_ \- if I might add… we technically have the right to sentence him to death."

Alf shuddered, completely at a loss - yet also quite understanding. On papyrus, Zhong's charges seemed utterly terrifying - genocide, murders, killings… yet it would take an especially inquisitive soul to find out the real wolf underneath it all, and the amount of pain and suffering Zhong had gone through in his life - the amount of _history_ in Zhong's battle-scarred face and reluctant, shy personality. It was all hidden under a past that followed him everywhere, and a hatred of authority that never seemed to help his case.

Alf could understand it - he lived through some of the same things - but he doubted anyone else would.

"Mr. Ping?" Chung asked again, breaking the Seeker's thought process.

"He's not - ugh," Alf didn't even know how to defend this. "Listen - I know it may be hard to believe but - he's not the same guy. He's - he's trying to get a job, trying to find a place to rent, trying to move on…"

"You have any legal documentation of this?" Chung asked, but was immediately pulled away as Grandmaster Wei Ling leaned into her ear - whispering something that was unintelligible to Alf. "Hmm… very well, Mr. Ping, you're dismissed for now."

Alf was taken aback. "What? What about - "

"We have some more pressing matters to deal with," Chung wrapped up quickly, standing up as the ox and rhino stood up beside her. They, along with the confused scribe, trounced away and back down the open hallway behind the podium - faint voices carrying gently.

"Send a detachment out at once… we cannot have foreigners so easily breach the Valley's defenses…"

Wang smiled at Alf, standing up. "They're talking about my men."

Alf shot him a quizzical look. "What? Your men? Wait -"

"They should have arrived at the Valley right about two hours ago," Wang noted, watching the three grandmasters disappear down the long hallway. "Was wondering when the local government would take notice… guess that's my cue too."

And without a single further explanation, Wang strolled off behind Alf - making his way to the equally large brown doors that opened into the Valley of Peace.

The Seeker stood there annoyed - for perhaps the millionth time in his life feeling confused as all hell.

"Mr. Ping?"

Alf swiveled - almost not understanding who it was until he saw the face.

A nervous yet happy female jackal - just shorter than Alf - smiled at him. "Soo Lin, sir - remember? From the _Chinese Daily_ …"

"Yeah I remember who you are - you were there at my last trial, right?" Alf recalled, earning a happy giggle from Soo Lin. "I'm sorry and while I'd love to hear about your guys' _think tank_ \- I've really gotta be going on…"

Alf wanted to desperately get back to the Palace. There were so many questions - like why the rest of the Yongshi had just now showed up, why Wang was so insistent on going right now…

...and what the hell was the lion talking about "asking" Tigress about something?

Was Alf playing wingman?

The Seeker chuckled, entertaining the idiotic thought for a brief second.

"Actually I just wanted to ask about your comments on the _Revolver's_ existence?" Soo Lin asked.

Alf felt his breath seize up, staring at the jackal hard in the face. Although he wasn't showing it, a spurt of shock had run through him - the question was so specific, so piercing, so accurate in its description that Alf was too taken aback to answer at first.

"I - I dunno what you're talking about," Alf forced a lie, having yet another issue to tackle once he was back in the Palace. "How - what the hell - how did you come up with that?"

Soo Lin turned around, pointing at the large, furry back of a retreating lion.

" _That_ nice gentleman informed me of it a few hours ago," Soo Lin noted, turning back to a shocked Alf. "I just _had_ to get your comments on it…"

Alf was incredibly pissed off.

The Revolver was a complete, and utter secret.

He doubted whether even some of _Gongmen's_ witnesses could remember it.

Shifu had deliberately hidden it.

Had deliberately and proverbially locked it up, and thrown away the metaphorical key.

How in the hell did Wang know?

Why in the Scrolls would he reveal such sensitive information to this annoying, scummy journalist?

"So, is that _no_ comment or…" Soo Lin started, bringing out a papyrus and quill.

"Screw off," Alf shoved past the offended jackal, not caring as she began hastily scribbling down as he left in pursuit of Wang.

And Alf knew, perhaps - that tomorrow would come to bite him in the behind.

 **. . .**

"So - as you can see here," Wang noted, making a small clip of notes on top of the table. "Kai is a warrior - an old brother-in-arms of Oogway - they trained the same styles."

To the Furious Five's shock, Wang's guest room in the Palace was literally stuffed to the brim with complex evidence that the Yongshi had painstakingly collected and coerced out of people - eyewitness testimonies of a massive bull with chain blades, Chinese literature that proved the connection between Kai and Oogway, along with pragmatic reports of the mysterious "chi" that the pandas were supposed to have mastered - and to Po's relief, Li had not been invited to these conversations.

At least not yet.

Wang had publicly estimated that Kai's arrival to the Jade Palace would be very soon. It would be literally just days - and according to Wang, even with the reinforced members of the Yongshi who had just arrived at the outskirts of the Valley, it wouldn't be enough to completely stop Kai. Worse still, the green "zombies" that everyone had been fighting earlier had appeared to disappear without a trace - Crane couldn't find a single piece of the Badger Twins, much less the other masters that had been "jombified" - as Po put it. Wang had guessed it to be some kind of magic power that Kai had from the Spirit Realm.

With the gravity and immediacy of the threat and the undeniable hordes of evidence, the Five, Shifu, and Po sat in corners of the guest room - Wang observed them all as they poured over the papyrus, scrolls, books, and mini-library in the guest room - all of them desperately trying to find out more about Kai's weaknesses, and how to stop the warrior bull.

What definitely _didn't_ help was Wang's reluctance to answer how much of a warrior he himself was - sure he was larger than Po, and far more muscular, and far more intimidating - but there had not been a single instance where Wang had shown any combat skills, and Shifu wasn't even sure whether the Yongshi were warriors or merely messengers and scholars. Wang had been as closed off as a brick, preferring to wait until the rest of his "men" got to the Palace.

And in sharp contrast to everyone sitting down, studying Kai-based literature - Tigress stood alone, leaning against a wall.

Wang sighed as her orange eyes glared him down. On Tigress' end, she was very upset that Wang had elected yet again to not mention the connection between the Seekers and Kai - a fact that she felt was _extremely_ important to bring up. Yet Wang had casually left this part out, and Tigress didn't know why she couldn't just bring herself to shout it out… perhaps decency, perhaps a partial non-belief in Wang, but mostly just uncertainty.

"You _prick_."

For once, Tigress was happy to see Alf swear.

The Seeker strode in angrily - much to Shifu, the Five, and Po's confusion - walking directly to Wang to spit harsh words.

"This _prick_ told the entire world about the _Revolver_!" Alf bellowed, chest heaving.

"Calm down boy!" Shifu forced, standing up on his staff. "Show some respect towards our guest!"

Yu had casually just strolled into the guest room - obviously awakening from a deep nap. She wasn't even remotely interested in going to the meetings - much unlike Zhong, who wished he could go but was always barred by Shifu.

The fox shot everyone confused looks from behind her orange dress. "What's everyone mad about?"

"Wait - the Revolver's missing?" Viper asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"What the hell this guy LEAKED OUR DEATH WEAPON!?" Crane beckoned.

The rest of the Five looked to each other in confusion, as Shifu tried to pacify them with commanding remarks. Tigress was similarly angry, but was also pleased that she had found another concrete reason to hate Wang.

The huge lion however - simply waved off the complaints. Po, Shifu, the Five - and even Alf - stood in silence, awaiting his response.

"I _had_ my reasons," Wang simply noted.

A pause.

More pause.

"That's it!?" Mantis let out, hopping onto Po's shoulder with a confusing tone. "YOU HAD YOUR REASONS TO LEAK A WEAPON THAT COULD GET INTO THE HANDS OF OUR ENEMIES?!"

"Yes, I did," Wang responded softly, yet the voice was so deep and stern that it almost shocked Mantis into complacency. "For now - why don't you all try working on stopping _Kai_ \- I have some errands to run."

And Alf got even more frustrated as Wang passed by him, offering him a gentle smile - almost as if the whole subject of leaking sensitive information had been "solved" already.

"Do ask her about what I told you," Wang offered, pointing at a freshly enraged Tigress.

"What the hell is he talking about _Alfie_?" Yu cooed sarcastically, leaning against his shoulder.

"Don't call me that," Alf spat back, irritated by helpless to resist Yu as she pulled him into a disarming hug.

 **. . .**

"Stay _away_ from him."

Wang turned around in the moonlight, incredibly confused. There was only one person who would be bold enough to follow him, even anticipate his meditation hours just on the outskirts of the Jade Palace Courtyard. Wang had chosen nighttime exclusively for the solace it provided - everyone was supposed to be sleeping, even Master Shifu. And after such a long day of researching Kai's background, going over perhaps hundreds of scrolls, and talking so many strategies to each other - everyone should be completely _out_ for the night.

All except one.

Tigress.

Her orange eyes flickered dangerously - as if she would start punching Wang in a second. She ran up to his side, glaring as she paced on the aged black symbols on the Courtyard floor, light breezing wafting through her fur and golden attire.

"I don't understand," Wang tried to evade.

Tigress tilted her head to the side, snarling. " _Don't ever_ talk to him again."

" _You_ seem to be making no effort to," Wang forced, growing irritated as well. "You _still_ haven't told him, have you?"

"I _don't_ trust you," Tigress spat, walking closer to the considerably larger lion. "Heh - hearing about you leaking the _Revolver_ …"

"Oh for Scroll's sake - grow up!" Wang bit, harshly annoyed now. "Look around you!"

Wang pointed through the twin wooden gates of the Courtyard - leading down a steep flight of stairs that emptied into the brilliant, shining Valley of Peace - tall buildings, twisted spires of factories, a huge residential community, decorations, bustling activity - nothing like the Valley of Peace Tigress had grown up in.

"The world has _changed_ since Shen!" Wang spat. "China has _changed_ since Tai Lung and that damn peacock!"

"So?!" Tigress argued back.

Wang struggled to compose himself. "Argh - let go of it, okay? The whole _Jade Palace and their secret Seeker, their secret weapon, their secret_ …"

"We _protect_ things that could fall into the wrong hands," Tigress fiercely countered, pacing away from Wang in anger. "You _leaking_ the _Revolver_ to some random journalist… proves you clearly don't _protect_ things - like loyalty, secrecy, and trust… now all of China's scum knows how to manufacture a _death_ weapon…"

"No!" Wang roared back, fully disdainful of her logic. "Now the Valley guard forces - and I'm hoping the rest of China - will be able to have a leg up, technologically! The design I leaked will HELP the rest of the world adapt to bigger enemies! Bigger foes like Kai! And we need all the help we can get!"

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you betrayed our trust," Tigress let out through gritted fangs, balling her paws into fists. "You failed to _protect_ us too - from the gigantic _backlash_ that the Valley'll put on us - another secret, another trial - as if Annabelle didn't have enough trouble already…"

"Ah so _that's_ why you're irritated, hmm?" Wang reasoned sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at Tigress. "Me leaking the weapon could lead to a call for the boy's - execution?"

The dialogue irritated Tigress again. She spun around. "I couldn't give a flying _bean bun_ about what happens to Alf."

"Indeed," Wang countered with complete sarcasm. "You care so _little_ about him that you're preventing him the chance to actually have a _life_ for once."

"What, a life with your idiotic cult of morons?" Tigress observed, cackling in disrespect. "I'm just trying to make sure the headline - _Seeker death linked to Yongshi_ \- doesn't come up in the news scrolls - and make the Jade Palace and my _father_ look bad."

Wang chuckled, pursing his lips as he heaved a deep sigh. "You tell yourself _whatever_ lie you want - but I know the truth."

Tigress groaned, walking yet again in annoyed paces - kicking idly at dust. "Truth, truth, truth he says…"

"Whatever - _misplaced_ sense of protectiveness you're having for him right now," Wang emphasized. "It's _keeping_ your head from ruling over your heart."

"I already told you… " Tigress began dangerously, fangs showing now. "... I… don't…. care... "

"If you _don't_ care about what happens to him so much, then tell him!" Wang bellowed, deep tones easily overpowering even Tigress' ferocious voice. "Tell him to get lost! Tell him that the Yongshi want him, that the Valley hates him, that everyone arounds him cares so _little_ about him - as you keep trying to insist!"

Wang inched his face closer to Tigress'. "I assure you - it will all be _nothing_ he wouldn't have already deduced by now - by six years of living in this bigoted city."

Tigress took a moment to restrict the urge to punch Wang into oblivion. She calmed herself, staring back at him with a cool, detached gaze.

"I _don't_ trust you," Tigress stated coolly. "It has nothing to do with what I _want_ for Alf."

Wang sighed, pinching his fingers near his eyebrows as he shook his massive mane.

"In a few days the rest of the Yongshi will arrive," Wang forced. "I will then start to run out of patience - with Kai approaching and the Seeker threat…"

"Which you still _haven't_ told anyone about," Tigress spat.

"... my patience will run even lower than it usually is," Wang cut across, not even missing a breath. "Tell him about my offer Tigress - before it's too late."

She watched him walk away.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?!"

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yeah - the past - always catches up?_

 _I wanted to show how full circle a lot of the things were. With Shen, with Po's dad, with Alf's past struggles to find out his history, etc etc etc. Lots of continuity here!_

 _If you're wondering why Tigress dislikes Wang so much, while everyone puts up with his mysteriousness, it's because of two things:_

 _-She's not afraid of him like everyone else - even Shifu - is. Check out his physical description - larger than Po, muscular, thick mane, etc. etc. But Tigress isn't so easily silenced._

 _-She doesn't like the way Wang is hiding info (like the Seeker ships coming to this world) or being so indirect. Alf probably hates him for the same reason - he clearly knows something about the Seekers, his past, and everything connected - yet he's being so slow and deliberate with his info, it's pissing everyone off._

 _And that's pretty much it. Stay tuned!_

 _And no - I haven't forgotten about Omega or Kai. :D_

 _Support. Wow. Done. Amazing. :D_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: There won't be many Kai-focused scenes until his inevitable arrival at the Jade Palace - however, that's coming up close so expect more of our favorite Seeker-ally/secretly wants to kill him._


	41. KFP 3:6

_**A/N:** **Wow was I gone for a while… um… just re-read anything if you're feeling lost? XD**_

 _ **All joking aside, I promise to be more consistent from now on. :)**_

 _ **~TW**_

* * *

" **Split Paths"**

* * *

"Are you being serious?"

"Yes."

"But… I don't understand…"

"Neither did I - until… well… now."

Po walked a bit farther away from Li, staring back at the large panda with a confusing glance.

It had been an interesting week. Just days after Li had come to the Valley, those pesky Jade zombies had been defeated, and the Valley was peaceful once again - Wang had dropped the bombshell that a mysterious spirit warrior named Kai was coming to destroy the Valley.

So Po had the option to be rightly concerned.

Everyone had decided to congregate in Wang's room once more at noon. To the panda's surprise, the Palace's sole guest room was enormous and spaciously occupied - there were drawings and scrolls of Kai and eyewitness accounts on the floors and adorning the bamboo walls, but there were also a few bags that Wang had ordered no one to touch. Still, the room was beginning to get crowded - with Shifu, Wang, the Furious Five, Alf, Yu, and even Zhong anxiously waiting around Li and Po. Thick sunlight filtered through bamboo shading - tantalizing everyone with its bright luminosity.

Li had just made a series of revelations just two seconds prior - that there was a secretive panda village far away, and the pandas knew chi.

Which coincidentally, turned out to be the one _thing_ that could defeat Kai.

All of this smelled like absolute nonsense - coincidences atop coincidences, almost as if everything was going right randomly.

"Po," Li tried, watching everyone else give him anxious stares. "I understand if - "

"Let me think for a second," Po forced out, sighing to himself.

Chi, as it turned out - was known to Shifu as well, yet the myths and legends had shrouded most of the accuracy that could have helped them. One consistent fact was that chi was enormously powerful and able to bend into different energies and shapes at will - Shifu had sometimes shown this by injecting a bit of life into a wilting grassblade - but for most of the Five, Po, and Alf: it was just a random, inanimate concept.

Po turned back at Li. On one hand, he was dying to spend more time with his biological father - yet on the other, he was completely opposed to trying to figure out how Li could have magically known about Kai, just in time talk about chi, and let everyone know that the pandas weren't dead in a hailstorm of coincidences.

"This past week has been crazy," Alf let out, to minor chuckles from everyone else. "Think everyone can agree on that?"

The Furious Five let out hearty chuckles, as Yu wrapped her arms around Alf and guffawed loudly. Even Zhong squeaked out a small sound, but was silenced as Shifu glared at him. Wang merely kept a firm glance on Li.

"Dragon Warrior," Wang started slowly. "If you must know - I believe the panda. The Yongshi have found reports of such pandas… never anything concrete but…"

Po shot a quizzical look at the massive lion, whose head nearly touched the low ceiling. The Yongshi - as it turned out - were very much silent like the wolves that had been previously with Wang: silent, firmly following the lion's command, and perhaps fifty in number. They had taken camp in the Wu Dan mountains - only Wang had spoken with them at lengths.

"We need to explore every possible resource to defeat Kai," Wang noted. "If Li says he can teach you chi… well then, I say trust him."

Mild nods and agreement from everyone else.

Po eyed Li with a defeated expression. "I guess it's settled then - I'm goin' back home."

At once, Li ran up to the panda and squeezed him with a ferocious intensity.

"You won't regret this Lotus!" Li emphasized in happy squeals.

"You won't!" he said again.

"I hope not…" Po reluctantly tried… unsure of his destiny but confident that he needed to do this.

"Wait wait," Mantis interrupted atop Alf's shoulder. "If Po and Li are leaving - where does that leave us?"

"Yeah, don't need the villagers need protection?" Monkey asked genuinely.

"They'll be slaughtered without our presence here," Tigress affirmed.

"We'll be staying back," Shifu urged, as Wang nodded his head slowly. "With the Yongshi and the full might of the Palace - we should be able to at least, learn more about this - Kai - and evacuate the villagers as well."

"Can't really call 'em villagers anymore, can you?" Alf let out, as Yu nodded beside him. "These are cityfolk now."

"What's your point, boy?" Shifu asked.

"Alf's right," Viper agreed. "The Valley is more like a gigantic city now. Imagine evacuating thousands of people, shops, factories, schools, courts…"

"It'll be an organizational nightmare," Yu concurred, imagining how impossible it was to see the Valley's architecture and broad buildings completely empty now. "The ol' _evacuate_ approach can't work anymore…"

"Maybe we can ask the guards for help," Zhong surprisingly rang in.

Absolute silence.

Alf hated this.

Everytime when Zhong would somehow interrupt - with a courage Alf could never understand - everyone surrounding the old wolf would sneer and glare at him.

And no one glared harder than Shifu.

"It is only by Wang's blessing that you would even be _allowed_ inside this room," Shifu spat at the crestfallen wolf. " _Don't_ contribute your worthless ideas ever again."

Zhong turned his head down to the ground, then exited the room through bamboo blinds. Wang attempted to stop him, but was ignored as Zhong audibly sniffled and moved out of the room.

Alf was seething with anger - and he could sense that Yu was too.

"Go make sure he's okay," he whispered, as Yu nodded before giving Alf a quick peck on the cheek before pursuing the wolf.

"We will figure out _some_ plan," Shifu spoke over everyone else. "We have time… right erm - Wang?"

The lion merely nodded, but it was careful.

"For now."

 **. . .**

"Father?"

The old master turned back, smiling as he saw Tigress' form gently enter into his room with a nervous disposition. This surprised Shifu more than anything - the fact that his daughter had anything in the world that could make her nervous. That, and combined with the fact that she was calling on him at midnight - a time she wouldn't dare approach her master usually.

"You don't call me that unless you're stressed about something," Shifu began, allowing Tigress to walk fully into his spacious, graceful room. He shut the bamboo blinds behind her.

"I wanted to ask you something, Master," Tigress began, bowing mildly as she secretly observed the ornamentation and amount of scrolls carefully organized in Shifu's room - always perpetually impressed with the amount of dragon logos and inner peace symbols that covered the entire flooring and brown walls.

"What is it?" Shifu asked gently, leaping atop his staff in trademark fashion.

"How did - did - did you handle… Tai Lung leaving the Palace?" Tigress asked in anxiety.

Shifu felt her tension constrict in her humbled features. He knew she was taking a risk asking him this.

But he removed himself from all those memories. "He didn't leave, Master Tigress - he was imprisoned."

"Yes but did you think that was best for him?" Tigress pressed, fiddling with her paws and golden robes.

"Did I think prison was best for him?" Shifu smiled, almost wondering whether she was making a joke. "It was what needed to be done."

Tigress gulped, pacing around. "And he - he hated you for it, right?"

"Yes," Shifu quickly agreed, mind racing to memories despite his best efforts. "I suppose so…"

Shifu came down from his staff, moving to his desk as he clasped his hands and staff behind him, ears dropping down imperceptibly as old memories crushed back into his psyche.

"I didn't mean to…" Tigress started.

"No, it's not something you were responsible for…" Shifu noted, still having his back turned to her. "But why ask me this now?"

Tigress sighed, again fiddling with her robes as she turned down her gaze. "I just - just wanted to know…"

Shifu examined his student much more closely. In particular, he focused on the small details of dishonesty ingrained in her face - the awkward eyebrow position, the half-upturned mouth, and a downcast gaze.

"I was wondering whether you could start training Alf again," Tigress asked suddenly.

Shifu gave her a bemused look. "Why do you ask?"

"I just - feel that he's learned all he can from me," Tigress noted, shaking her head in a mock-unassuming movement. "It's all - "

"Why do you so suddenly ask for this?" Shifu asked again, watching Tigress' face tense up. "You aren't thinking of - giving the title of _master_ back to be, are you?"

Tigress fell silent.

"This is about the Seeker, isn't it?" Shifu questioned, sighing in acceptance. "About the things Wang said…"

"No!" Tigress quickly tried to deflect. "I was - wait, how do you know about - "

"Wang has told me of his - _offer_ to take the Seeker from us," Shifu noted. "Have you told the boy about it yet?"

Tigress huffed, staring at the ceiling with an exasperated groan. Of course Wang would have told Shifu - this was just yet another sign that the enormous lion wasn't at all being completely honest with her about _anything_.

"How can I?" Tigress started, shaking her head. "He - "

"The boy needs to know, Tigress," Shifu cut in, staring at her with a forceful, dedicated gaze. "Regardless of any misgivings you feel between yourself and the lion - his offer seems reputable. Concrete."

"I - I just don't trust him," Tigress at last restated for perhaps the hundredth time. "I - I mean he revealed our _Revolver_ to the entire world, for Scrolls' Sake!"

"From what he told me after," Shifu countered. "It seems like the leaked technology would lead to China being _more_ able to fend off threats."

Tigress huffed.

"We can't hoard knowledge and power, Tigress," Shifu noted. "But I think the real reason you won't tell the boy - is because you're afraid he'll _immediately_ accept Wang's offer."

Tigress smiled a bit, almost in disbelief. "Why would he? He doesn't know Wang or - "

"Yet he knows how his life has been for all the years here," Shifu addressed promptly. "He knows all the scars - inside and outside - that this city, that China has given him."

"So?" Tigress fired back.

"So if you give a dying man even a drawing of water, he will long for it," Shifu metaphorically quipped. "And the boy needs much more than water - he needs things that Wang, perhaps - is capable of providing for him."

"So you agree with him," Tigress cut across hastily, feeling great disappointment rush to her.

"I don't care enough about the Seeker's fate to involve myself," Shifu emphasized, recalling more thoughts. "If he stays - we can always use the extra team member. If he goes - we will find ourselves free of a legal and political loose end. It simply doesn't matter to me."

Tigress felt taken aback.

Although she certainly wasn't actively hugging or congratulating the Seeker (in fact she often did quite the opposite) - she at least acknowledged his contributions.

Tai Lung.

Shen.

Countless enemies and bandits along the way.

"He has been useful to the Palace, yes," Shifu emphasized. "But at the same time, it is because of him that the Jade Palace is under so much more scrutiny, so many more trials, the reason why the local guards often fight with us…"

"That isn't because of him!" Tigress retaliated, finding these accusations completely absurd. "He never did - "

"Him _being_ him is the problem," Shifu forced, silencing her immediately. "And I for one - would have no problems with him following a different path than ours."

Tigress felt upset, almost cheated out of something. It was almost as if she had expected some guidance from her father - but instead he had berated how naive she was, insulted Alf's worth, and calmly denoted how rational Wang's offer was.

"Tell the boy," Shifu forced, walking to the bamboo blinds before slightly shifting them open. "Leave any attachment you have behind you and do what's _right_ for this Palace."

Tigress snorted in sarcasm, but kept it lowkey so Shifu wouldn't hear. "And what's _right_?"

"He's _your_ responsibility Tigress," Shifu noted. "Don't prolong the inevitable. Tell him."

Shifu turned to leave, looking behind him at Tigress' crestfallen frame. She clearly mulling it all over - and for a second, the old master thought he might stay back and talk more, but decided against this instinct.

"He's just another student Tigress," Shifu allowed himself to declare before leaving. "Nothing more."

She had to do this herself. He closed the blinds behind him.

 **. . .**

The leaving was unremarkably unceremonial.

The supplies were simple. Po had packed just enough food to last them the journey there - which Li estimated to be about two weeks worth - and he had also made some final goodbyes to the Five, Alf, Yu, and Shifu. Although Alf had pestered Po to see Zhong as well before leaving, the panda merely growled this off and refused to meet with the wolf.

From a practical standpoint, they had elected to leave at noon instead of the usual nighttime traveling plan - noon allowed them to focus all their energy on stocking up on food and eating, before leaving for the long journey. Li was characteristically upbeat and positive, screaming declarations.

"You're gonna love the village!"

"I'm gonna show you where you pooped your pants!"

"Great scenery!"

"I love you Lotus!"

Po was less impressed. He was honestly just doing it because of the entire _chi_ argument - he wasn't at that stage where he was attached to Li, and he wasn't sure why the panda was acting so attached to Po considering that they had been separated for so many years.

The only thing however - that made this moment worthwhile - was Alf's parting words to Po.

They were words that Po was thinking about even today, as the Five, Wang, Shifu, Alf, and Yu all waited in the Palace Courtyard, patiently waiting for Po and Li to begin the journey away.

 _Tell her_ , Alf had begged Po. _You've waited long enough_.

"Tigress?" Po questioned, pulling her gently to the side. "Can I - talk to you?"

She seemed very confused, but obliged the panda and distanced herself from the rest of the crowd around Li, all of them laughing around the squaling panda.

"I haven't changed the way I feel about you," Po whispered, recoiling as Tigress' face instantly morphed into disappointment. "Wait wait lemme finish!"

"Po - "

"Just let me finish, alright? I know you weren't in a good space two years ago and stuff but - "

"Po - "

"I feel exactly the same way I have about you…"

"Po - "

"...and I'm not gonna just _give up because_ …"

"Po! I feel the same way!"

This stunned him.

Baffled him.

Po could barely close his mouth, as Tigress looked back at the rest of the Five, Alf, Yu, and Shifu as they laughed at another one of Li's never-ending jokes.

"Po you have to realize there's a concrete _reason_ why I haven't - reciprocated," Tigress noted, tilting her head squarely at Shifu's form a distance away.

"He'll be _fine_ with it… he's Master Shif - "

"To _you_ ," Tigress emphasized. "But to me? He's my father… and everything with Shen has seriously crushed any trust he had in me…"

"And dating the Dragon Warrior probably isn't the way to go," Po started, sad acceptance coming to him. "Hmm…"

"Lotus! Let's journey beyonder!" Li let out, picking up his sack and slinging it over his shoulder.

Tigress smiled. "Try not to kill him on the way there."

"No promises," Po smiled, clasping Tigress' paws gently. "Tigress - I - "

Tigress forced a paw to his mouth, carefully keeping a side eye on Shifu. "You don't need to say anything. We'll figure it out."

Po smiled, satisfied enough to swing by the rest of the group to give a few handshakes and hugs, before following Li out of the large gates exiting the Palace Courtyard.

 **. . .**

At night, ordinarily everyone would be asleep.

For the Jade Palace, it seemed alright - after Po and Li had left at noon, Shifu had subjected the rest of the group to vigorous training routines while he discussed tactics to protect the city with Wang… so it made sense that after such a tiring day, everyone would be sound asleep in the Jade Palace dormitories. Notably, almost everyone conformed to this pattern - Yu, Mantis, Monkey, Viper, Crane, Shifu - even Wang and Zhong were likely sound asleep, completely at peace with the situation somehow.

Only two individuals were out on the Jade Palace Courtyard at midnight, sparring intensely against the backdrop of cascading moonlight and the bustling sounds of the Valley behind them.

One of them was there because she wanted to train.

The other was here because she had forced him to.

 _THUD._

"Again!"

Alf wheezed and gasped, trying to recover his breath as Tigress stared down at him with an angry gaze.

Even for Tigress, this seemed to be pushing it: midnight sparring sessions?

And why was she fighting so angrily?

More angrily than usual.

If that were possible.

 _WHACK._

"Again," she spat, albeit a bit more calmly.

Alf groaned, grasping his side where she had front-kicked him. "Tigress - I'm so tir - "

Tigress growled at him.

"Oh my - fine, _Master_ Tigress," Alf corrected quickly. "It's midnight and we already trained super hard today can I just - "

 _SMASH._

"AHHH!"

Alf was on the floor again, staring up at Tigress as she growled even more fiercely.

"Don't _ever_ call me your Master again," Tigress let out, calming herself down later. "You don't realize the stress that the title brings."

Alf was very confused but chose to ignore this. "Okay - um - can I please go sleep now?"

She obviously ignored this request.

Alf groaned again.

Tigress whipped back at him. "What do you make of your life here, Angelina?"

Alf held the thoughts in his head, quickly moving away from Tigress' characteristic double-palm strike.

"I dunno," he noted. "Whaddya mean?"

"Are you living - _well?_ " Tigress queried, leaping up to the air to deliver a powerful elbow downward.

Alf swerved out of the way. "Living we - hell no!"

He almost laughed at Tigress' question, as she paused the sparring for a while.

"What do you mean?" Tigress asked, whiskers flaring in intrigue.

"I mean it's shitty here," Alf noted, fingers trailing to the ever-present reminder of his status - the collar squished around his neck. "It's _been_ shitty. The way people look at me, how I get treated… I mean - come on…"

"But...?" Tigress demanded, almost as if she was expecting him to balance his response with something else.

Alf searched his mind for the positives. "... but I guess this is my - weird, dumb, yet charming _home_ … I mean, I couldn't imagine a life anywhere else… and this place has all the crazy people like Po and the Five I've met…"

Tigress breathed a sigh of relief. "Good - that makes my job a lot easier… thank the Scrolls…"

"Job?" Alf wondered out loud. "What job?"

Tigress blinked her eyes slowly, almost as if she didn't want to say anything back for fear that Alf would become angry at her.

She was afraid that _Alf_ could be mad at her.

That pinpointed just how much Wang was stressing her out.

"That stupid lion made me - well, made you an offer - through me," Tigress started.

Alf walked closer. "Wait, what? Whaddya sayi - "

"He offered you a place with the Yongshi," Tigress let out carefully, choosing a neutral tone as to not bias Alf one way or another. "Says he can give you a better life, teach you your real history… and this is the kicker…"

Alf was flabbergasted.

"... help him stop a Seeker army about to reach our world."

Alf laughed heartily. "Wha - what the - oh man! I didn't know you could tell jokes like - "

"I'm not joking," Tigress cut across harshly, delivering a sound punch to Alf's shoulder as he recoiled in pain. "I - I wish I was…"

Alf's smile slowly disappeared.

He truly couldn't believe what she was saying.

Some part of him always wanted to ask Wang if he knew more about his history… I mean, they had corresponded two years ago…

...but Alf never could have predicted this.

This was too much.

Plus, it felt unbelievable.

"He's saying he knows my past?" Alf questioned, staring at Tigress' oddly downcast face. "He's saying he - I could eat something other gruel and Shifu's leftovers for a change? He's saying - there's a Seeker…"

"Slow down Argo," Tigress denounced, punching Alf again in the stomach. "Don't get too excited…"

Alf was jumping up and down.

He couldn't contain himself.

He was sure of it.

Sure of the fact that he would die in this Valley.

Never see the world.

Never be free.

Never learn about who he was.

Never.

It was changing.

He had a path.

An out.

"I gotta tell him yes," Alf squealed, walking away from Tigress. "I gotta - hey OUCH!"

Tigress roughly yanked him back by his spiky black hair, discombobulating him.

"Calm down, wait until morning," Tigress forced. "You think he'll accept you if you wake him up at midnight and beg like the little girl you are?"

Alf was so ecstatic that he completely bypassed the insults. "Right right right! Okay I'll tell him in the morning! Let's continue the spar!"

Tigress got in her stance, but felt slightly downtrodden. "You - you have no doubts about this? You - you really wanna go?"

Alf smiled more genuinely than she had ever seen him smile before. "I mean - I'll have to make sure he's not fibbing - but - yeah - I - I can't wait to - to have a life somewhere. A _real_ life…"

Alf grew lost in thought. Tigress reluctantly continued the spar, feeling a sense of regret burgeon within her - an ancient feeling she had never felt with anyone before.

He wasn't just a student.

And that was making all this much harder.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Ahhh… the conflicts and stuffs… LOL._

 _I actively chose to have Po leave quite quickly, because I think it's just a minor plot point to just knock out of the way - I mean at this point - we have so many exciting storylines to do!_

 _Hence my priorities now:_

 _Reproduce the key points from KFP 3_

 _Add on all my fancy plotlines_

 _Profit_

 _Support is incredulous._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Tigress and Alf have probably my fav. Relationship of all time. Also TiPo confirmed? Hehe._


	42. KFP 3:7

" **Irreversibility (I)"**

* * *

 _ **Stop.**_

"AHH!" Kai let out a feral roar, surprised by the sudden intrusion into his head space.

 _ **Calm down.**_

"I thought you were _done_ randomly popping into my head…" Kai spat.

 _ **Unfortunately the telemetry of your solar system eludes our sensors.**_

 _ **Believe me - it irritates me more than it does you.**_

Kai snorted, again understanding nothing.

It had been a long time since he had left the panda village. Just moments after he had killed the Dragon Warrior's panda father, and Omega had congratulated him on doing so - what followed afterwards was completely unknown to Kai. There was a blinding flash of light, a sense of radiating energy - and almost as if by magic, the panda father was restored back to life!

Or at least - it seemed that way.

Kai had noted some differences. The eyes were blue instead of green, and the clothing was just a bit more shabby and ragged than usual. The huge bull was shocked, but the panda quickly disappeared into a puff of smoke. Omega had ceased all contact with him since then - and Kai had decided to go along with his usual plan: destroying the Jade Palace. He would have ideally liked to stay behind and finish off the rest of the pandas, but he decided against this due to his urge to get to the Valley.

It greatly bothered the old bull that no one even knew his name. Although he considered himself confidently to be Oogway's superior, that damn turtle had all but erased Kai's name from the history scrolls - two farmers that the bull had spoken to (before killing of course) didn't even recognize the name.

And after so much distance traveled, so many snow-plodden paths and hot jungles that Kai had crossed, with so many killed villagers and travelers now occupying the Jade amulets circled around Kai's waist - now, in the middle of a sprawling desert with the hot sun beating down - _now_ was when Omega chose to reconnect?

"Our _partnership_ is over now," Kai noted with a smile, idly kicking sand away from his hooves. "You freed me from the Spirit Realm. I killed that panda in exchange. We're done talking."

 _ **Indeed we are.**_

"Then why do you keep _speaking_ to me?" Kai growled. "Don't you have some Seeker invasion to plan?"

 _ **Just a few more questions.**_

"Ask them quickly then."

 _ **Your kind's technology - how far has it advanced?**_

"What?" Kai let out, irritated. "What do you mean, spirit?"

 _ **Can it defend against plasma weapons and photon cannons?**_

 _ **Stone age weapons?**_

 _ **Energy manipulation?**_

"I don't understand what the hell you mean," Kai groaned. "We have cannons and bows and arrows - as far as I know. The cannons were pretty recent too…"

Kai was utterly baffled how something as powerful as cannons could have been developed in his absence. Granted, he had been gone from the mortal realm for 500 years - but the technology was so advanced, so complex that he had almost imagined it to be stolen from some other more advanced species. Kai had heard rumors that a peacock had developed it - but he truthfully didn't care enough to inquire further.

 _ **Yet your kind practices some sort of energy manipulation.**_

 _ **Kung Fu.**_

"And the Seekers _don't_?" Kai laughed, sharp teeth showing themselves. "Hah! Perhaps the Seekers aren't as powerful as I thought…"

 _ **Our native planet - Earth - did not allow us to evolve Kung Fu superpowers.**_

 _ **We are however - light years beyond your kind's capabilities, technologically.**_

Kai felt the hot sun wear him down, more annoyed than ever that he was still speaking to this babbling moron.

"If you and your fleshlings are so far ahead," Kai spat. "Why do you need all this information from me? And from - your previous _contacts_ … the snow leopard, and that other peacock…"

 _ **To ensure colonization success with certainty.**_

 _ **It is only because of the Beacon that we even found your planet.**_

 _ **The later discovery that a human was on your world…**_

 _ **...intrigued us.**_

"A _human_?" Kai asked, unfamiliar with the term. "Wait - _that's_ who you want to learn more about? A Seeker on this world?"

A pause.

A laugh - a harsh, unforgiving laugh that Kai couldn't even identify as humorous until much later.

 _ **You have much to learn, bull.**_

Kai growled, at last fed up and continued the direction heading towards the Valley of Peace.

 **. . .**

"He gave you a _place_ with the Yongshi?"

Alf smiled reluctantly, completely confused as to what to say next. Yu was smiling beside him, laughing confidently as the words just began to settle down into her head.

"Boy the reaction Zhong's gonna have…" the fox smiled.

They were at the Rock again. In such crazy and turbulent times, Alf and Yu found it best to take some time off of each day - usually well after both Shifu and Tigress were done training the ever-loving _crap_ out of Alf - and just relax and discuss the day. Alf found it particularly suitable - since the Rock was so far outside the Valley and was hidden in a large grassfield, Zhong was also able to meet up with them without fear of guard stops or anyone giving him a nasty side-eye. The glorious, ever-present moonlight also meant that Alf could better appreciate the extent of Yu's beautiful, lingering gazes at him - although he would never tell her that.

"He's had it rough the last few weeks," Alf spoke casually, sitting atop the boulder as Yu leaned her head against him. "Well, I guess he's had it bad since the beginning…"

Zhong - despite his best efforts - could not find a single place that would hire him. It was tremendously ironic as well, as the booming industrialization of the Valley had exploded forth new job markets and openings for welders, mechanics, fire-starters - and yet the wolf had stood in hundreds of lines, filed countless scrolls to the business offices, and returned home with absolutely nothing. He only survived from hand-to-mouth as Alf brought him leftovers - and the lack of coin meant that Zhong couldn't even make the return trip to his safe house in Mongolia.

And realization slowly hit Alf.

"You - " the boy began. "You think he resents me? For asking him to come to the Valley two years ago?"

Yu shook her head, disappointed. "You did what you thought was best."

"I thought it wouldn't be so bad over here, even for someone with a history like Zhong," Alf noted, feeling his collar again somehow. "Heh - guess five years living here hasn't taught me shit."

The fox smiled.

"Sorry I'm late."

Alf and Yu swiveled their heads, as a particularly crestfallen former Wolf Boss trudged his way across flattened grass, ears drooping in disappointment and head shaking sadly.

"How'd it go?" Alf inquired immediately, leaping down as Yu followed.

Zhong merely shoved a scroll into Alf's hands.

"What is this…" Alf mused, reading the ink.

* * *

 _Mr. Zhong,_

 _Your accuracy in welding is important and useful for society. While we certainly admire you metalsmithing skill and value your desire to "turn your life around" - we regret to inform you that we, Valley Metalworks Incorporated, cannot hire you at the current time due to -_

* * *

Alf didn't even bother reading the rest of it, quickly crumpling the scroll and tossing it the floor as Yu gave Zhong a reassuring hug.

"I was hopeful about this one because it's a new group and they didn't even recognize me when I interviewed," Zhong began.

"The interview was going well?" Yu asked solemnly.

"I sure as hell thought so - smiles and laughs and shit," Zhong continued, sighing before his face hardened into anger. "Then just as I leave - I peep this scrawny sheep giving me some kinda glare - whispered something into the recruiter's ear as I exited the room."

Alf growled. "Probably ratted out your history to them - and after they followed up with a background check - "

"Hence the shitty rejection letter," Yu let out, frustrated for the wolf as he sat down, back casually leaned against the boulder. "I'm sorry Zhong…"

The fox wrapped her arms affectionately around the wolf, squeezing tightly as Zhong seemed to cheer up imperceptibly. Alf sat down as well, shaking his head.

"You know, after two years of this shit I wish I coulda just stayed in Mongolia," Zhong mused, lost in thought. "I understood the consequences of working for Shen - I just never figured out it would go like this…"

Yu pinched Alf, clearing her throat as if expecting him to say something. Alf, as he was confused felt no inclination to speak up. The fox let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well - Alf here has a way out," Yu smiled, winking at the Seeker. "Wang offered him a place with the Yongshi."

"No shit?" Zhong asked, a bit incredulous despite his crestfallen demeanor. "You're telling me that bigass lion actually gave you a way outta this hellhole?!"

Alf heartily laughed, nodding his head as he gazed up at the stars. "Hell ya man - I only wish I coulda jumped ship sooner… I mean… Tigress only told me about it last night… haven't seen Wang since then."

"He's exploring the Valley with Shifu," Yu filled in. "Going over plans to stop Kai and looking for structural weaknesses, evacuation plans, that kinda thing…"

"Well as soon as he comes back you better tell him," Zhong confirmed, smiling. "I - I'm really happy for you bro - to just - get out so quickly…"

Alf smiled, as Yu crawled over to his side as the fox let her head fall directly into his lap. Alf stroked her hair gently, just realizing what a gift that Wang was giving him.

"I'm obviously gonna go with him," Yu noted, smiling. "Honestly I was just waiting for an excuse to get outta this place…"

Zhong grinned. "What about Shifu and the others?"

Alf held these thoughts in his head. It was actually a very legitimate question, and one he had pondered over for the last few hours - basically as soon as Tigress had told him about the option.

The issue he had found that - while Alf was very dedicated to the Five, Po, and Shifu - he was forever the outsider. It truly didn't matter what he did - beating Tai Lung, defeating Shen, or saving so many citizens over five years - there was an element of "us" and "him" that Alf could never hope to get past.

But that wasn't even a problem. He had grown accustomed to being "othered" more often than not - but when strapped with a shock collar for five years, constantly belittled and assaulted by everyone in the Valley, Alf had to agree that absolutely nothing had changed since the Dragon Warrior tournament.

If Shifu was beating him half to death in training, no one stepped in.

If the guards were harassing him, no one stepped in.

If the various Valley courts prosecuted Alf again and again, no one stepped in.

And after all these years - he still had that smelly, dungeon-esque room situated beneath the Valley's drainpipes - primitive technology miraculously untouched by the rest of the Valley's industrialization.

Po and the Five were quick to point out these tragedies in private however, usually after a horrible ordeal that left Alf silently crying in his room.

But in public?

No one dared defend the fleshling.

It had been that way for a long time.

Alf thought back to Po - the panda, his friend, the Dragon Warrior - perhaps the only person he had known for a long time, and had significant time spent with. But as much as he loved Po - and that fact was indisputable, Alf really loved Po - the Seeker had to acknowledge that he wasn't willing to live a life of misery just to stay close to his best and oldest friend.

And as Yu kept reminding him - if Po really cared about Alf…

… he would let him go.

"I'll figure out a way to tell them," Alf at last spoke up, breaking the silence as he eyed a particularly downcast Zhong. "You're welcome to join me and Yu, by the way…"

Zhong smiled. His optimism had been disproven before, so he was careful - yet the feeling of hope was still there.

"I just might hold you to that," the wolf denoted with a finally genuine smile.

 **. . .**

To Po's great dismay, the path leading to the panda village was even longer than Li had anticipated.

Initial estimates had given the time at four to five days - now it became more likely that it would be closer to a week. So far, they had managed to traverse across the Wu Dan mountains and safely make passage to the farthest reaches of the province - and in the process, find themselves in the midst of a thick jungle. Po had recognized some of it - it reminded him of the same scenery he had seen when they had all gone to Gongmen two years ago - but the key difference here was that Li wasn't as organized, so the path forward was much more unsteady. Some hours the large panda would be boisterous and loud with jokes, practically running ahead of Po - other times, perhaps due to exhaustion, they were lucky if they moved a hundred feet without Li wheezing. The most irritating thing above all, was that all of these behaviors reminded Po greatly of himself, which was making the process naturally harder.

"So what's with the cold shoulder?" Li asked, giant belly wiggling in the hot heat of the jungle, surrounded by canopies and green, thick bushes all around. "Gotta admit - I was hoping the _chi_ thing and _dad not being dead_ thing woulda got me some more love…"

Po refused to answer straight away, taking the time to idly stare at the massive cedar trees eclipsing his vision on all sides.

"Is it my belly or something?" Li asked with a smirk.

"I _had_ a father," Po stated bluntly, hopping over a fallen branch. "He was - taken from me."

Li seemed to acknowledge that he was pushing Po a bit too far. "Right right - Mr. Ping… I - I hear he was an excellent guy…"

Po had trouble tying this conversation to reality - everything felt so surreal. He was talking to a random panda who was supposed to be his father, while the individual he had associated with fatherhood was currently buried in the Valley cemetery.

"All I need to know is that you're willing to give me a shot," Li asked again, stopping in the mud tracks. "Leave alone the _chi_ stuff and the pandas. You - you think we can - start to get to know each other?"

Po deliberated very heavily on his words before answering.

"I'll try."

 **. . .**

The Valley was well into evacuation status. Perhaps five years ago, when Tai Lung was threatening to destroy the village and everything in it - ordering evacuations just meant moving perhaps twenty or thirty families outside of the walls and into the refuge of the Wu Dan mountains. It was a simple, painless process (aside from running from a dangerous snow leopard) - and it took about thirty minutes to orchestrate and completely organize.

Not so today.

Ordering an evacuation today meant significant legal hurdles foremost. Shifu and Wang had to appear in front of the Valley High Court, provide substantial evidence that an "emergency" was coming to the city, prove that the Valley's considerable guard forces couldn't contain it, and detail a relocation plan for the thousands of citizens currently living in the Valley: complete with food, temporary housing, and a small sum of reparations paid to each family. This process alone took a week - and if it were not for Wang starting the process as soon as he came to the Valley - Kai might have already arrived and found a completely defenseless city.

Then there were the practical effects of the grand relocation. Previously, the Valley barely had five shops (including the late Mr. Ping's noodle spot) - now, there were hundreds of stores, a commonwealth shopping bazaar, tons of workers and business organizations, and a system of courts, guard stations, factories, and numerous other buildings that had to be evacuated and citizens accounted for. It took yet another few days to forcefully shut everything down, provide enough supplies to relocate, and to calm everyone's nerves. Transportation thankfully was provided by Wang and his Yongshi - who seemingly had foretold the move by bringing eight fully-stocked grand wagons, each capable of easily holding up to a thousand citizens. And after many hours laboriously loading the angered, distressed, or confused citizens into the wagons - and as Wang ordered his Yongshi soldiers to depart with the Valley's population - the formerly bustling city was reduced to a gigantic web of connected buildings, empty streets, smokeless factories, and closed courts and schools. A trademark red banner - dragon symbol painted onto its center - ran over the length of the entire city - signaling to outsiders that the area was under effective lockdown.

Thus, the group now standing in the center of the Valley central marketplace - surrounded by tall, empty red buildings and a variety of sharp dirt roads - had to discuss strategy.

Shifu was at the center, with the Five, Alf, and Wang standing around him. In Shifu's paws were a map of the surrounding area, complete with detailed instructions and notes given by Wang. Zhong and Yu were notoriously absent, having already been commanded to go with the caravans holding the fleeing Valley population. Alf would have loved nothing better than to tell Wang that he was going to accept his offer, but had found no time to do so with all the evacuation preparations and work to do.

"Kai will be coming likely from the East," Shifu pointed out vaguely, as Wang nodded to affirm. "What powers did you say he has?"

"He was a legendary warrior, Oogway's superior in many ways," Wang noted gravely. "We suspect he will arrive here with two chain blades, a reincarnated Jade army, and a variety of energy techniques that he picked up in the Spirit Realm, or that was given to him by - "

The tall lion paused, mulling over his words. This drew the irk of Tigress, who absolutely knew that he had just kept himself from revealing the connection Kai had with the Seekers - and she didn't understand why Wang wasn't revealing it yet.

" - by his own dark urges, I suppose." Wang finished with a lie.

"I say we do stealth first," Mantis forced, leaping atop the map with gusto. "I don't care how powerful he is - all of us luring him into the marketplace, then pouncing on him should put him down for the count. Take out Kai - the zombies go away, right?"

"He's right," Viper noted, hissing in annoyance at Kai's name. "Powerful or not - taking precautions are more than enough to get him under control. Alf?"

Alf asked Yu for a small sack, and quickly drew out handcuffs from them - sharp, piercing sixteen-point acupressure cuffs which had seldom been used. All of them had decided this was the best way to restrain Kai after a surprise attack - after all, a field test had shown that even Tigress wasn't capable of breaking out of the cuffs.

"And what exactly do the _Yongshi_ plan to do to help us?" Tigress asked with derision. "Wang - you've kept hinting at your soldiers coming to help us… how exactly, considering they all just went to accompany the relocated villagers?"

"Half," Wang corrected. "Half of my forces left. The other half is nestled in strategic areas around the city. We'll aid the Palace's efforts to apprehend Kai."

"He's right," Shifu concurred. "We need _everyone_ on this, Tigress - given the magnitude of the threat."

"And how do we know not to erm - hit them?" Monkey asked genuinely. "I mean - none of us have even seen them yet!"

"I have, occasionally," Shifu countered. "They're stealthy warriors who wear all-black - just make sure to attack the green-colored masters and the huge bull you see."

Tigress still didn't seem satisfied, but it was enough for her to calm down.

Wang, on the other hand - suddenly seemed apologetic. "Now I - I understand that the Seeker here will be using his um - _Revolver_ …"

Alf gasped. They had decided that strategy perhaps in desperation, and certainly in private - Shifu had promised him that he would not reveal the usage of the weapon to anyone except for the Five and himself. Evidently though, Wang had somehow deduced this…

"I want to make everyone aware that - that after I leaked the plans to the press," Wang began earnestly. "My men managed to recreate some replicas of it… we'll be fighting with the same technology, basically."

"Just what I figured," Tigress started, nostrils flaring as the others failed to suppress her advancing angrily towards Wang. "Steal our tech for your own men, eh?"

"Like Shifu said, we need everything we can to engage Kai," Wang countered, a bit irritated. "Leaking the tech was part of the plan! Think of it…"

"Yeah right," Tigress urged in anger. "I _totally_ believe it…"

Alf felt somewhat betrayed, and after that feeling was gone - a bit concerned. The Revolver was - in many ways - a desperate move, and since everyone had witnessed its destructive capabilities back at the docks in Gongmen, Alf wasn't even comfortable using it, much less practice training with it. Furthermore, he was unsure how well-acquainted with the technology Wang and his men were.

 _CRACK._

Everyone gasped.

Even Wang.

Yu grasped Alf's hand more tightly, as he was roughly shaken out of his thoughts.

He turned his attention to the center of the group.

Tigress was holding the right side of her face, cheek reddened. Shifu was perched atop his staff, paw extended aggressively.

It took two seconds for Alf to make the connection.

He likewise gasped, eyes going wide.

"I have listened to you berate Wang since he has come here," Shifu spat quietly, just low enough so only Tigress could hear. "I don't care how long ago you knew him, or what you thought of him at the orphanage - fact is, he came to the Valley and told us about this… while what did you do?"

 _CRUNCH._

Another searing swish of Shifu's paw, and Tigress' other cheek now was glowing red.

"... nearly fail us in Gongmen," Shifu continued, snorting. "Keep your mouth _shut_ from now on. Do you understand?"

Tigress nodded, again not making eye contact with Shifu.

 _BAM._

Another swish of Shifu's paw, as Tigress' right cheek turned freshly purple.

"Answer me," Shifu began dangerously.

"I will keep my mouth shut, master," Tigress let out, frame shaking slightly.

The rest of the group still had their mouths wide open. Wang in particular stared slack-jawed at Shifu - and Alf could sense he wanted to go forward and comfort Tigress, yet he decided against it, perhaps hoping to not upset her further. The biggest issue about these kinds of situations - where Tigress was physically humiliated in front of everyone - was that no one could really step in without incurring the wrath of Shifu. Sadly, this kind of treatment had occurred so often that everyone else just became numb to it - even Tigress.

"We ambush Kai as soon as he arrives, Wang" Shifu continued, almost as if nothing had happened. "The Five and I will start the initial attack, aided by your Yongshi soldiers - and the boy will come at the end and restrain Kai with the handcuffs."

Alf smiled, realizing that it took five years of serving the Jade Palace for Shifu to finally acknowledge him as "boy" instead of "Seeker" or "fleshling".

"I want to emphasize that if we - fail to bring Kai down," Wang started morosely. "I will not allow the loss of too much life. Retreat into the mountains is our best option - the Yongshi have sketched out some contingency plans - just follow our lead."

"You're expecting us to fail?" Monkey countered with confusion. "I mean - we've got everything planned…"

Wang smiled a bit gravely. "Just planning for circumstance."

"ALF!"

The Seeker turned around, broken from the focus of the conversation as a gleeful fox ran up from behind - hugging him firmly as a reluctant wolf followed slowly behind her.

"I can't just leave you alone!" Yu cried out, taking the time to squeeze Alf more tightly as the Seeker saw the wolf frown behind her.

"I tried to stop her - even follow her and make her go back to the caravan…" Zhong noted. "But she just kept going…"

The blue sky seemed to reverberate bright sunlight across Yu's ecstatic face. Shifu audibly groaned, while Wang and most of the Five made cooing noises that irritated Alf greatly.

"You shouldn't be here," Alf tried gently, brushing the fox's fur back.

"I have a habit of coming back for you, remember?" Yu returned with a smirk, referencing the time in the woods all those years ago - when Alf had elected to not run, and face Tai Lung.

"And uh, I guess I came because I wanted to say something to," Zhong clarified, coughing.

Instant silence.

Wang, Alf and Yu seemed completely open and accepting - in fact, they seemed overjoyed that Zhong had finally chosen to break the silence after so much time.

The Five and Shifu were different however - frowns and growls permeated their side of the conversation.

"What is it?" Wang asked genuinely.

"Don't listen to that fool," Shifu immediately rang out.

The huge lion walked closer to Zhong, placing a reassuring paw on the smaller wolf's shoulders.

"I forget your name," Wang gently noted.

"Zhong," the wolf quietly let out, keeping his head down and gaze away from Shifu - who was staring daggers right into him. "I'm - "

"A murdering psychopath," Crane started.

"The guy who killed the pandas," Monkey chimed in.

The group started more murmurs around Zhong. Alf and Yu did not participate, inching closer to Wang in defiant refusal of Shifu's orders to stay away.

"What did you wish to say?" Wang asked again.

Zhong still felt nervous speaking, but Wang's calm smile helped him. "Well - I just think that the guard forces could be useful to us."

"Your recommendation is to involve those incompetent idiots," Shifu spat, pacing furiously. "Foolish…"

"If this - Kai guy really is as powerful as you all say he is, and he has an army…" Zhong countered, a bit more bravely. "... we need everything we can get."

Wang nodded, as if he was taking this under deep consideration. "You should speak up more - Zhong."

The wolf smiled genuinely, for the first time in front of Shifu.

"Hey Wang," Crane asked suddenly. "We assume your soldiers can fight - how well can you fight?"

This had been a question that was on everyone's minds since Wang had come to the Palace. Although his imposing, large frame and muscular physique would imply immense power - none of the Five, Shifu, Alf, or Yu could tell what exactly Wang was a master of… they couldn't even be sure that he had any kung fu training at all.

"I can handle myself," Wang noted simply.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Done with another one boss! (hehe)_

 _Some things I wanna note is that Kai definitely did something with Po's father back when he first met him - just not revealing specifically what happened yet. Also, we can see how Alf is somewhat at peace with his decision to leave the Valley behind, and that eventually he sorta understood where he stands with everyone else. Another key thing that resurfaced was Tigress and Shifu's rocky relationship - a factor I think which is excellent to mull over. Finally, I always found Po's instant love for his biological father a bit corny - imo, it should have been a little more drawn out and detailed._

 _And yay Zhong actually speaks his mind!_

 _And so much more plot stuff!_

 _Support is amazing._

 _~TW_


	43. KFP 3:8

" **Irreversibility (II)"**

* * *

The air was deathly quiet.

Everyone was positioned perfectly. Although it had taken everyone quite a bit of time, the Five, Shifu, Alf, Yu, and Zhong managed to tuck themselves behind buildings and within empty shops in the Valley Central Bazaar. They had to have been waiting for at least eight hours, without movement - but as soon as Zeng flew in with news of a "ginormous bull" coming from the east, everyone sprung into action.

Unlike the members of Team Jade, Wang and his Yongshi soldiers were nowhere to be found - he had promised Shifu he would attack simultaneously with the red panda's students, but never quite revealed where he and his men were positioned. The lack of clear communication bothered Shifu, but he was still hoping for their aid once his students started the attack. One thing however made Shifu gleeful - Wang had not confirmed Zhong's idea of using Valley guards to assist their attack, which could mean that he didn't have faith in the wolf's ideas.

A creaking noise, coming from the stone flooring at the center of the massive marketplace. Alf, Yu, and Zhong - all three rightly seated atop the roof of a particularly tall red building - peered down at the sole individual standing right at the heart of the formerly bustling commercial square. Wind blew through the area ominously, touching through Alf's dark hair.

They finally managed to look at the bull. Alf had to suppress the fox's gasp.

Kai - as it turned out - seemed absolutely ginormous by comparison. He was clearly taller than even Po, and roughly on the same size as Wang… and the twin chain blades that the lion had warned them about, were indeed there in the bull's grip. A circle of jade amulets ran around Kai's muscular waist, while green eyes and a ferocious, horned head peered all around him.

"COME OUT COME OUT YOU FOOLS!" Kai screamed at the circle of empty, tall buildings around him, privately admiring how far the Valley had come architecturally since he was last here. "I KNOW YOU'RE HIDING! THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO! I CAME HERE TO DESTROY THE PALACE!"

Alf watched the bull sway below him in anger. Just out of the corner his eye, he saw two furry ears and whiskers just stick out from a large stone, across the center of the marketplace where Kai was…

... Shifu had just waved his finger from his crouched position.

And instantly a flurry of movement occurred.

As if by clockwork, the Five suddenly broke out from random positions hidden across the grand marketplace - Viper and Monkey appeared from underneath a local shop's tiles, Crane had flown in suddenly from the sky, while Tigress and Mantis lunged forward from behind a door.

"ARGH!"

"AGHHH!"

"FOR THE VALLEEEEY!"

Alf watched the Five and Shifu perform a coordinated attack against the enormous bull. Half of the team immediately sweeped Kai's legs, while the rest focused on pouncing on his massive torso. Shifu peppered the bull with quick kicks to the face, while Tigress wrestled the bull down with great strength.

Zhong and Yu watched Alf silently bring out the acupressure cuffs Shifu had instructed him to bring. Alf had to wait for a moment that Kai was vulnerable - currently, he was miraculously able to keep up with even the combined efforts of the Five and Shifu… the bull throttled Viper and Mantis together, spin-kicked Crane and Monkey, and was able to just barely overpower Shifu and Tigress in a gripped position.

Tigress looked up suddenly at Alf, watching him observe the fight cooly.

She nodded.

Alf knew that was his cue.

He leaped down.

In reaction, Tigress and Shifu suddenly pulled back Kai before he could unsheathe his chain blades, exposing his wrists.

Alf soared down, cuffs ready and aimed squarely at the unsuspecting but angry bull.

"ARGH!"

 _WAP._

Alf was smashed away by a much larger force - but to be more accurate, a much more powerful series of forces - which bludgeoned him to the side and diverted his descent, as Alf crashed into the nearby building wall and flew down, collapsing onto a shop's roof before breaking that too and falling onto hard cobble flooring.

"ARGH - WHAT THE - " Alf let out in anger, seeing an enormous lion - flanked by perhaps ten other men completely shrouded in dark black clothing (or women - it was hard to tell) descend down on Kai, as Shifu and Tigress growled at the misdirection.

 _Wang and his Yongshi_.

 _Assholes_ , Alf thought. _He never told us that part of the plan…_

Kai seemed to understand he was outgunned - with Shifu and Tigress still engaged with him, while the rest of the Five were beginning to recircle - and now, Wang and his soldiers had begun running towards him.

And to Alf's greater surprise, they began _firing_ something.

With small, revolving devices in their hands.

 _So that's why he leaked the Revolver plans_ , Alf mused, trying to regain his bearings from hitting the ground so hard. _Again - what an asshole_.

The bull waved his amulets around, emitting green bursts of energy.

Instant green forms appeared, morphing into the bodies and faces of familiar masters.

The jade zombies were back.

At least fifteen of them.

"Now _this_ is a fair fight!" Kai roared, throwing away Tigress and Shifu to a few zombies before choosing to directly engage with Wang.

The lion seemed to understand, irritated to note that despite the firing of his Yongshi soldiers - the projectiles were not enough to completely stop the zombie army from attacking. Alf grew concerned as two zombies managed to find Yu and Zhong atop the red building - dragging them down to the ground with a crashing _thud_. His first instinct was to rush to their aid, but the ensuring battle between the lion and the bull was growing far more interesting.

And finally, Alf saw just how strong Wang was.

The physique hadn't lied.

The lion was - incredible.

Wang moved like a rhino and charged like a bull. He suddenly unsheathed an enormous green sword, swiping it down hard on Kai as the bull deflected with his chain blades. Alf observed that apart from Tigress - Wang was the only one fighting Kai on equal footing, as both huge figures became blurry in a haze of sword swipes and blade stabs. Circles of dust were blown away with each and every movement, nearly blinding Alf.

The zombie army, on the other hand - was fully engaged with the Five, Shifu, and the black-robed Yongshi soldiers. Each zombie seemed to require at least one master to keep it under control - Tigress, who usually fought three or four enemies at a time, was barely managing to keep up with just one, which seemed odd for her.

And then Alf grew shocked, recognizing two of the zombies immediately.

Viper was fighting a peacock.

Not just any peacock.

 _The peacock._

 _Shen._

And as Alf turned to Tigress again, he noted that she was fighting a snow leopard.

 _Tai Lung._

The expressions were there. Tigress was fighting valiantly as the zombified version of the destructive former master sparred dangerously with her.

Alf seemed to recognize his opportunity again, acknowledging that he had to get Kai under control before it was too late - and he could summon more zombies.

He picked up the fallen cuffs, watching Kai exchange ferocious blows with Wang - who was fighting with equal power.

A second of pause.

Alf's eyes met with Kai's, as the bull just realized he was there.

Another pause.

Kai suddenly stopped, shaking his head.

Alf watched him fall to the ground, shaking his head like a madman.

"No no no…" Kai whispered to himself. "Not now not now…"

The rest of Team Jade, Wang, and the Yongshi were confused. The jade zombies weren't moving also - and Yu and Zhong noted that everything about Kai's body language seemed to have suddenly changed… he was acting afraid now.

"What the hell…" Alf let out, watching the bull mumble to himself.

"No no no…" Kai whispered again, almost pleadingly. "No… ARGHHHHHHHH!"

 _BOOM._

A massive explosion of light.

Green chunks went flying.

The bull's head soared over Alf's. The Seeker recoiled in shock.

As soon as the light had dimmed down, Alf could better focus on what was in front of him.

Wang was shocked.

His Yongshi were shocked.

Shifu was baffled.

The Five were baffled.

Tigress was amazed.

Zhong and Yu gasped.

Even the zombies looked oddly off-balanced.

Alf merely shuddered instinctively.

Kai was not at the center anymore. In his place, a strange creature was standing - yet it wasn't really a creature for two reasons: it did not appear to be fully physical, as some of its body was covered in smoky haziness and the entire figure tended to "flicker" from time to time… yet the appearance was so distinctive, so contrasting to everything around it that Alf wondered if it was even something that was alive. The figure's body was enormously taller - taller than Kai, taller then Wang, and ridiculously cold and muscular - a dark, shiny, strangely metallic plate of armor ran across its entire frame… and atop the imposing body, a smooth, pale-skinned face with hair only existing at the top of the head and beard. The face was long and oddly majestic, demanding and controlling, ferocious and seemingly legendary.

There was nothing else it could be.

Alf thought back to all the myths and legends he had read and seen about his kind before.

It couldn't be.

Yet it was.

"It's certainly taken me a while - _five_ years to be precise… and we still haven't reached your world," the figure addressed boomingly, deep voice silencing everyone in its awe-inspiring power. "But - I still don't think we've been properly introduced… I am Omega."

Alf watched the - the Seeker - for that was the only thing to call it - smile at him.

 **. . .**

The location that the two pandas were staring at was so secretive, so well-hidden, and so elevated into mountains that it was nearly impossible to find it unless there were major detours along the way. The two pandas had traveled across frigid snow, harsh deserts, thick jungles, and had completely eliminated dirt tracks and any rocky paths leading towards the location had been abrasively crushed. But as soon as the location - which stuck out oddly as it sat on a rugged mountainscape tall enough to pierce through low clouds - was found, an observer might note that the scenery was actually quite beautiful. Ignoring the perilous and uncertain journey there, the location was magnificent: golden light shining down everywhere, unfiltered by cloud cover, along with cool, clear air that wafted through the entire space.

And a panda village sitting in a meadowland, right atop the mountain.

Po sighed, just waiting for Li to make the last few steps up the cliffside as he got a better look at the village. It was mostly made out of wood and clay, but it had history - although the civilization was nothing compared to the Valley, it felt simple and kind - with a perimeter that could house probably house just about twenty families, a variety of short but fat red buildings within a cobblestone perimeter wall, and a quiet haziness to the entire area.

Li finally caught up to Po. "Wooh! Guess it took us a while but - whaddya think?"

Po looked at the village, feeling a sense of familiar wonder and happiness hit him. He was nervous more than anything - although he didn't see any pandas emerging yet from the cobble perimeter wall, the mystery surrounding the village and meeting everyone… especially in such a secluded location -

"Let's get one thing straight," Po noted. "I - I'm still kind of - uncomfortable with all this."

Li's breath became rough and defeated. "I understand."

"But that doesn't change that you've done all this for me," Po corrected with a smile. "And - bringing me here, and - the chi thing - well…"

Despite all the reluctance Po was feeling, he let himself force a hug with Li. The larger panda gratefully smiled, wrapping his arms around Po.

"Just give me a chance son," Li asked gently. "I can try to make all the years up to you - I didn't leave you, trust me."

Po blinked, wishing it would desperately become true. "Let's go inside."

Li grinned, setting off a small footpath leading to the cobble wall that bordered the village. Po watched the sleepy little town tucked into the middle of nowhere, gentle meadowland surrounding a home of red buildings and old memories that the panda was anxious to experience again.

To remember again.

 **. . .**

"Ah…" Omega gently let out, approaching Alf on the ground. "There's the man of the hour… "

The massive Seeker approached Alf, heavy footsteps mildly displacing dust across the cobble pathway. It almost felt like a theater experience - with so many masters around (albeit restrained), with a variety of tall buildings surrounding the pair, with the strong wind blowing through the crowded square, and with the deathly silence at the marketplace… it all felt surreal.

No one was even daring to move. True, there were enough jade zombies to force back Wang, the surviving Yongshi members, Shifu, and the Five - but more importantly, the utter shock of the moment had compelled nearly everyone to stay quiet and just observe what was happening. Yu and Zhong were lying beside Alf, exchanging scared looks.

"Stay away from him!" Tigress roared, managing to break away from her zombie guards - but was quickly silenced as a wave of Omega's hand forced a jade zombie to slam her face into the stone ground. Another wave and the rest of the zombies quickly pinned down Wang, the Yongshi, and the rest of the Five and Shifu - Alf noted that the power that Kai had imbued the zombies was absolutely _nothing_ compared to what this - _man_ was doing… a simple wave had given the zombies enough power to force down _everyone_. Alf watched Shifu quiver as the zombified version of Tai Lung gripped him.

Omega kneeled down, watching Alf's horrified face with amusement. "I apologize that it took so long for us to meet…"

Alf gulped, completely at a loss to say anything. Omega's physique and armoring was so incomprehensibly different than what he was used to seeing - red metal upon shiny black metal, with panels that lit up and a retractable visor atop his head. Alf's first thoughts were magic - but something this futuristic couldn't possibly come from just magic, kung fu, chi, or anything else… it all looked out of this timeline.

He looked completely out of this world.

"You - " Alf squeaked out, tortured with fear. "You're the same - the same voice that controlled Tai Lung… that spoke to me in Shen's torture cave… the one I've had nightmares about…"

"Quite a resume," Omega breathed out with a smile, deep, guttural tones rattling the surrounding environment. "My sincere apologies. We were thousands of light years away when the _beacon_ was activated…"

Omega tapped Alf's collar, as the smaller Seeker recoiled in fear.

"...so, it took us a long time to track this miserable planet," Omega continued. "And even longer to travel here - even with our ship's hyperspeed engines activated."

"Hyperspeed," Alf began, trying to deduce what this meant. "Hyperspeed… you - you're from the future?"

The massive Seeker merely laughed this off.

"In a manner of speaking, perhaps," Omega countered. "The more accurate answer is that we come from a far off planet called - Earth."

Alf tried his best to memorize the name.

 _Earth._

 _Earth._

 _Earth._

Why did it sound so familiar?

"That doesn't make any sense," Alf braved on, more courageous now. "How can your - people be so - advanced, while ours…"

"We are your evolutionary ancestors, boy," Omega offered gently, smiling. "My people - to be frank, _our people_ have about a head start of about a few million years compared to _this_ planet's life."

Alf felt even more confused now. He was getting the concept, he just couldn't understand how millions of years could lead to such a profound gap in capabilities between - planets?

He hadn't even processed that yet.

The Seekers were on a different - _planet_?

"I can sense your neofrontal cortex is overloading," Omega noted, placing a hand on Alf's shoulder. "Relax - we can acclimatize you to all the truths later. But - just so you know - all these years of interacting with your world is not for show - we've come here to save you."

Alf felt taken aback. "Save me? From what?"

He really ought to have attacked Omega by now, but the Seeker's presence was so intimidating and controlling that Alf knew it was a lost cause. He knew that a fight would be pointless.

He didn't even understand how powerful the man was.

A bit farther away and still in the circle of captured masters, Shifu struggled against his magical bindings and tried to scream - yet a closeby jade zombie pinned him down even further.

"From this pathetic world, of course!" Omega let out defiantly, almost as if he was surprised Alf didn't know this. "I'll admit - we _did_ initially come here to find a new host planet… yet the discovery that one of _us_ is here…"

Alf gulped, feeling Omega's face inch closer to him.

"... beguiled even _our_ technological achievements," Omega finished with a flourish. "What is your name, boy?"

"Alf," the smaller Seeker responded quickly, nervous. "Alfalfa Pin - "

"No not the name these miserable lifeforms gave you," Omega let out derisively, looking back at Yu, Zhong, Wang, the Yongshi, the Five, and Shifu - still all pinned down by the jade warriors. "I mean the name _we_ gave you. Your _human_ name."

" _Human_ name?" Alf asked, confused. "Uh - I - I don't know…"

"I thought as much," Omega confirmed, standing up to at least give Alf some breathing space on the ground. "We've run your biological data through our servers at least a hundred times - there isn't a single record of your birth, parental data, or home planet…"

Omega kneeled down, again intimidating Alf.

"So I ask you again… who _are_ you boy?"

Alf's lips quivered, turning his eyes down in defeated fear.

"I'm just Alf."

Omega grimaced, turning away from the boy. Alf watched him walk to the center of the marketplace, avidly surveying the rest of Team Jade - still firmly pinned down by the various jade zombies. Only Wang and a few Yongshi members (the ones that weren't instantly killed) were relatively free to move - yet they feared doing so, for Omega might retaliate by ordering Alf's, Yu's, and Zhong's deaths. A few jade zombies creeped closer to Alf, as Yu struggled to get closer whilst helping Zhong a few feet away.

"Kill them all, except for the boy," Omega declared.

"NO!" Alf roared.

One by one - the jade zombies began unsheathing magical blades, plunging all of them deeply within the bodies of the captured Team Jade members. A circle of cries and roars followed - even Tigress yelped in pain as two zombies plunged two blades _each_ into her ribs. The rest of the Five and Shifu growled and managed the blades from cutting too deep - yet Alf knew the weapons had sunken significantly into flesh. Only Wang and his Yongshi soldiers managed to fend off the blades, slapping them away ferociously - this did little good however, as with another wave of Omega's hand - more zombies appeared out of thin air to pin down Wang and his soldiers, who met the same violent fate.

"ARGH!" Wang roared, held down by two zombies just like Tigress - with four blades total shoved into his ribs.

"DON'T DO THIS!" Alf screamed, noting zombies start to approach Yu and Zhong behind him.

"COLONIZATION MUST BE COMPLETE!" Omega boomed out angrily. "IF THE BEST YOUR PLANET HAS TO OFF - "

 _BOOM. BOOM. BOOM._

Everyone in the marketplace was startled by the noise. With herculean effort, the Five, Shifu, Wang, the Yongshi soldiers, Po - even Yu and Zhong all looked at the source of the noise. Alf was utterly baffled to see the actual event.

The jade zombies holding down Wang were fractured into green chunks.

Wang turned his head to see the source of the noise.

Commander Jinping - accompanied by perhaps fifteen of his rhino guards - were standing behind him. The rhino commander had just _shot_ something - had shot using something very specific… almost unrecognizable because its design had been modified, but the central concepts were there: a long barrel, a smoky chamber, a handle…

 _A Revolver._

To be precise - _many_ revolvers. All of Jinping's rhino warriors had the devices, all aimed firmly at the remaining jade zombies and Omega.

Yet the devices had some modifications to them that Alf's original design did not have.

A stream of letters written onto the chambers.

Glowing letters.

Something magical?

Alf's mind was going insane. Perhaps Wang _had_ listened to Zhong's idea… and even more strangely, perhaps he had leaked the Revolver plans specifically so the guards would be able to manufacture them.

It was brilliant.

He watched Wang smile out of the corner of his eye, while Shifu growled at Zhong - despite the latter being fifty feet away.

"Um, Mr. uh - Omega!" Jinping yelled, pointing the revolver directly at Omega's head. "Surrender your um - zombie army now!"

Alf could tell Omega's appearance itself was terrifying Jinping and his rhino guard. Omega merely laughed incredibly, clapping his hands together in feral amusement. His shrill tones bounced off the tall red buildings around them, stunning Team Jade and even Wang.

"So perhaps you lifeforms _are_ moderately advanced," Omega noted with a smile. "Such primitive guns… or, do you even know what that word means?"

Alf growled, feeling insulted.

"Very well," Omega continued. "You shall hear from me again."

 _SWISH._

A blinding flash of light.

Then nothing.

Omega was gone.

Alf looked around desperately, wondering if the Seeker had merely teleported behind him or was above them - trying to place a counterattack.

But no one was there.

What was even more strange - the zombies were lifeless now, laying on the cobble flooring of the marketplace - blades still embedded into their victims chests.

With an effort, the Five and Shifu managed to wrestle themselves away from the fallen zombies. Alf grimaced as the sounds of multiple blades being torn away from skin and muscle pierced the air. He was - at the very least - relieved that Yu and Zhong were not hurt. In contrast, Wang and Tigress roughly kicked the zombies and blades off in irritation. Tai Lung's zombified corpse landed along Shen's - Shifu watched them both lay down in disgust.

"What the hell? Argh…" Crane let out, approaching Alf at the center of the square, watching Jinping and his rhinos search around the marketplace in confusion. "... what just happened?"

The rest of the Five, Shifu, and Wang got up and approached Alf as well. Yu held tightly onto the Seekers grip, while Zhong watched some of the surviving Yongshi just begin to stand up from their injuries.

More flashes of light.

But this time - it was green.

Alf spun around, feeling sudden alarm rush through him.

The jade zombies' bodies - although lifeless - were glowing.

Actually flickering.

Flickering brighter, and brighter, and brighter.

An eery sound.

Like a progressively higher pitched beeping.

It felt off.

"We have to run," Alf started, fully panicking now. "We have to RUN!"

Tigress caught Alf back, tugging his hair. "Settle down there Agatha, what exactly - "

"THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO BLOW LET'S GO!" Alf roared, tearing himself away from her grip to drag Yu forward - the fox however, let out no protest.

The panic had spread to everyone else as well. Jinping and his rhinos began to practically race Wang, the Yongshi, the Five, and Shifu out of the marketplace - running progressively faster and faster without reason. Alf had wished there was more time to explain - but in a situation like this, he could only rely on instincts and judgements - there was no time to delve into lengthy explanations.

"COME ON LET'S GO GO!" Alf screamed behind him, satisfied to see the rest of the crowd - even Zhong - keep pace with him.

The marketplace was at the distant corners of his vision now. They could make it.

He kept running.

A whiz of noises and blurred images - tall buildings and empty shops and colorful schools ran alongside Alf's vision.

"AGH!"

Alf looked behind him in fear, hoping his instincts were wrong.

They weren't.

Yu had tripped and landed hard onto the cobble pathway leading out of the marketplace.

Alf's heart beat even quicker. He rushed against the flow of the crowd, quickly making his way to Yu.

"Get up get up get up baby," Alf tried desperately, hearing that beeping go even louder and more frequent. "We have to go, we have to go… AGH!"

 _BOOM._

Alf recoiled in pain, as something metallic tore through his right shoulder - grounding him next to Yu.

He looked back.

Jinping had stopped as well, pointing his own revolver at him with anger. "THAT SEEKER DEMON WANTS YOU! IT JUST WANTS YOU! OH SEEKER LORD PLEASE ACCEPT THIS SACRIFIC - "

To Alf's pleasure, Tigress put an end to the rhino's supersitial nonsense by whacking him on the side of the head. Alf noted that the rest of the group were already at the outskirts of the Valley, obviously headed for the Wu Dan mountains which stuck out against the distant fog. They were already at the large red gates newly constructed in the city - Shifu and Crane had torn them open with effortless strength.

Alf turned back to Yu, whose leg was contorted. "Come on - get up get up…"

Yu was completely unable to put pressure on her leg.

She looked up at his stressed face.

Alf looked deeply into her honey-colored eyes.

A flurry of memories passed by them both.

For a second of serenity.

"Alf," she began. "I lov - "

 _BOOM._

Alf never heard the remainder of the sentence, as the beeping had stopped and a gargantuan noise had exploded - and in an instant, Alf was knocked powerfully away from Yu by a burst of air. He remained conscious long enough to see that delicate paw reach out to him, before both were consumed in a blazing inferno of explosive energy.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yes… the grand meeting at last!_

 _Omega is certainly a lovely character to write for. I wanted his first, physical interaction with Alf to be centered around mystery - all his life, Alf has heard legends and stories about how the Seekers used to be… but he's never really seen something as concrete as this. Remember, he's a Seeker who JUST NOW saw another Seeker for the first time in his life… and one that appears much, MUCH more powerful and older._

 _So there's a natural allure there._

 _Kai's dead, also. So that should be a cool twist. Hehe._

 _And… what just happened with Yu and Alf?_

 _Well - you'll see._

 _Heh._

 _Support is love, support is life._

 _~TW_


	44. KFP 3:9

" **Answers"**

* * *

Po stood in the center of the village, nervous.

He was waiting for Li to bring out everyone. It had been just their luck that they arrived while the pandas were taking an afternoon nap - something Po was in the habit of doing - so Li promised to get everyone up and running as he sprinted off into different houses in the village.

Po admired the architecture, wishing Alf was here to see it. The space itself was quite small, with perhaps just five or ten actual homes - yet the buildings bore curved roofs and distinctive green and red shading, evidently mimicking the smooth grassland and river that cut through the village. Due to its mountainous location, Po even saw some of the larger homes occupy a rather tall strip of cliffs just behind the entire village - and the massive fog seemed to block the entire village off from outside observations. Thin trees and rocky but gentle cliffs completed the scenery, dotted around the village. Po had seen just a few tilled rows of soil, indicating that there was some level of farming occurring to keep this village alive. In sharp contrast, outside the village was practically nothing - just gigantic snow mountains that completely enveloped the oasis of life that was the panda village.

"Lotus!"

Po swiveled his ears at the new noise. Li was there, yet the noise hadn't come from him - rather, it had come from a bulbous and short panda - who was rapidly joined by other pandas who had come bursting out from their broad red homes, all around Po. He noted their uniform green robes, collectively swathing him in their gentle colors. The crowd that soon covered him had at least thirty male and female pandas of various sizes - most were around Po's frame, but considerable numbers were much larger and much smaller.

Even panda _children_ were there.

Po didn't know what he was feeling.

He had never seen a panda child before.

"Meet the family, Po!" Li cried out happily.

An enormous panda - even larger than Po - picked up the Dragon Warrior with a grin. "I LOVE YOU!"

"Ergh - me too…" Po let out, unable to speak properly.

"That's your cousin, Dim," Li emphasized. "And _that's_ your other cousin, Sum."

"Together we're Dim Sum!" two pandas squealed out, both larger than Po.

"Cool…" Po whispered, unable to breath properly. "Um… Dim… could you let go now…"

Dim affirmed this, letting Po drop to the ground.

Po shook off the confusion, seeing the rest of the crowd of pandas anxiously talk amongst themselves. He of course didn't recognize anyone, but it did feel tremendously odd to have several clones of himself talking about him.

"He's so handsome!"

"Just like his father!"

"Should we give him a _snack-lace_?"

"He's so tall!"

"No he's short!"

"I still don't know who he is!"

Po laughed, joyous voices just bringing a bit of happiness to an otherwise confusing trip. And for a whole few moments, he just let himself enjoy the scenery - not even thinking about _chi_ or Li for a while.

"I'm Mei Mei," a female panda noted quietly, red gown making her stand out. "I'm ahem - _single_."

The words fell on Po's ears so weirdly that the panda backed up a bit, as Mei Mei approached closer and closer, devilish smile in her face.

"How does all _this_ feel, son?" Li questioned.

Po smiled at Mei Mei's face. He observed the surroundings - the crowd of panda villagers, the beautiful meadow village, and the mysterious mountains way ahead. In a way, he had always dreamed about this place for the longest time - and even though Mr. Ping hadn't given him a lot of information on where he came, or what his story was - he had pieced it together over years. Shen had taught him a lot, but this felt different - no longer was he fantasizing about one day traveling to this "panda heaven" - now he was in it, getting groped by the eager villages, watching Li - his father - smile at him around.

And just then, Po started to let down his guard towards the aged panda, wondering if he had judged him a bit too harshly.

 **. . .**

"Alf."

"Alf."

"Alf!"

"ALEXA!"

"YU!"

He awoke with a startle, but only just before his ribs threatened to burst open. Alf instantly winced, grasping his apparently - _bandaged_ sides in pain. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the surrounding light, despite the fact that there wasn't much illumination. A few seconds later, and Alf observed his surroundings more closely: he was in a dark brown room, with clay walls and stone flooring. It was quite small, and he was laying on a straw cot - Alf winced as he felt his fingers dangling off the edge of the cot and into a warm pool.

A warm red pool.

Alf groaned, wondering how much blood he had lost. Not only were his sides bandaged, but his face was hurting and there were long gashes across his exposed chest - cool night air filtered through the entrance to the "hut", washing across his prolific wounds.

Then he realized Tigress was standing above him.

"Glad to see you back from the dead, Aubrey," Tigress smirked kindly.

Alf recoiled slightly. Tigress' golden robes were splintered and torn - peeking behind the tears were blood-stained bandages circling around Tigress' torso. Alf had guessed those to have from from the blade injuries, and was happy to note that aside from a mildly more stifled movement - Tigress seemed healthy.

"Where - where am I - agh!" Alf tried to lean up from his cot, but was gently pushed back down by Tigress.

She kneeled down, meeting his eye-level. "You were - in bad shape when we found you."

"How bad?" Alf coughed out.

"Put it this way - I didn't see _you_ first," Tigress noted. "Only saw the blood pool. And - your hand, underneath a huge pile of debris."

Alf groaned, putting a hand to his head. "I - I coulda suffocated to death. Tigress - thank you."

Tigress seemed to ignore this, playful smirk suddenly gone as she stared back down at the ground.

"The Valley's gone," she whispered silently. "Shredded to pieces. All the buildings - the shops… even the Jade Palace…"

She stopped, voice cracking a bit. Alf was still in enough pain to the point where he didn't much care about the Valley - but that was, in some ways, bad news.

"What the hell was that _thing_?" Tigress asked in confusion, kneeling closer to Alf. "It - it couldn't have been a - a seeker, right?"

Alf's brain was so exhausted that he didn't even bother to analyze this - choosing to answer solely based on instinct.

"Looked like it," Alf confirmed. " _Omega_ … looks like the seeker army thing Wang was talking about… is real… damn what the hell is happening…"

"After I hauled you out, we regrouped with the rest of the Yongshi and the Valley citizens," Tigress emphasized. "We're all in some scrolls-forsaken corner of the Wu Dan mountains now - just trying to figure this all out…"

Alf's ears were just starting to function again. They immediately picked up profound chattering noises outside of the small hut, voices with great anger, sadness, and anxiety. There were a few he recognized as trying to contain everyone else's - Shifu's, Wang's - but the rest of the Five didn't seem to be making appearances.

"Jinping and his rhino idiots didn't make it out," Tigress emphasized. "Blown to smithereens. Lotta Yongshi died too… and well, the Five are all okay aside from some minor injuries… Shifu's fine, that idiot Wang's fine…"

Alf winced, side starting to warm as red liquid started to pool outside of his exposed skin. Something felt like it had torn.

"Your stitches ripped again," Tigress observed with a frown. "Turn over."

"Nah I think I'll be fine," Alf countered. "Just gotta - agh!"

It was not enough to dissuade her though, from roughly turning Alf onto his right side. Tigress took a seat onto the small cot, pushing his reluctant arm away from the exposed left rib.

"Try to relax," Tigress offered, running her paw across Alf's bruised skin as he winced. "I'll try to be gentle."

Alf groaned as Tigress took out a needle and thread, starting to pinch together broken flesh and sew them roughly together.

"You - patched me up?" Alf asked, wincing again. "I'm touched."

Tigress retaliated by aggressively pressing against the twisted flesh, earning a hiss from Alf. "Actually - the Soothsayer did."

Alf's eyes suddenly shot up. "Wait what? _Soothsayer_? Like the Soothsayer back in Gongmen?"

Tigress sighed. "We can talk about all that stuff later - for now, we just have to get you _walking_ again."

Alf recoiled again as Tigress pierced through more flesh with the needle. " _You_ walking again… fat chance… wait…."

Sudden realization.

"Yu," Alf started, fear flooding through him. "Yu Yu Yu! Tigress!"

Despite the enormous pain, Alf shot up and faced a surprised Tigress. "Tigress! Where's Yu?"

She merely turned her gaze down, frowning. Alf was hoping with all her might that Tigress might snap back and say she was fine - yet the moment never came.

 **. . .**

Po's first day in the village had been crazy, with the festivities lasting from the moment he had arrived till midnight.

In truth, it had only been one festival with chaotic light shows and bright drawings and dances - yet the panda villagers never let him go with their long talks and excited speeches. Li himself had spent the bulk of the day interrogating Po on everything in his past - how life with Mr. Ping was, how he became the Dragon Warrior, and all of Po's adventures since. Li listened sympathetically as Po described Tai Lung's terror upon the Valley, and how he had executed Mr. Ping - and how learning his true history, the history of the pandas - was delivered by Shen. In return, Po had asked a few questions of his own - mostly around his biological mother. Although Li gave a predictable response - his mother had been killed by the wolves - he did note that she was funny, incredibly astute, and by far better looking than Li. The old panda even surmised that Po had gotten most of his sense of humor from her, with the "stupidity" coming from Li - as Po grinned at hearing this.

The panda villagers were much more interested in the superficial aspects. The villager children seemed to want Po to demonstrate any art of kung fu he knew - and even after Po demonstrated how to do a side-kick for perhaps the millionth time, they still implored him to do more. The older villagers asked him more about how life was outside the village - Po had guessed that the genocidal ordeal they had been through, made them resistant to traveling beyond the safe confines of the village - and also to Po's surprise, hearing about the Jade Palace and how different the Valley was (factories, courts - basically a megacity now) compared to what they imagined.

And as usual, when Alf's name came up - absolutely no one besides Li believed him. And Po thought that if Li hadn't seen him in person, his father might not have believed him either - after all, who could sincerely believe that the Seekers weren't all dead, and also that there was a young male Seeker that actually fought _alongside_ the Jade Palace?

So the brunt of this day ended at midnight, when all the villagers tore down the decorations and stopped dancing - deciding to retire for the night and head back into their comfortable little homes. Li had taken the opportunity to escort Po to his own home, situated on rather rocky cliff apart from the other homes.

The house was splendid, albeit small. A fireplace was at the center of the triple-roomed home, complete with wood floorings and an assortment of drawings - mostly of Po's mother, but also some ones of Po himself as a child, with Li and his mother happily around him.

"I never forgot about you," Li mentioned sadly, looking at a drawing in his paws. "I want you to know that. It's just - when the village was attacked…"

"You didn't want to think about what happened," Po agreed sadly, sighing as he sat on the floor next to his father near the roaring flames of the fireplace. "I - I understand."

Li huffed. "But I never gave up hope. I - I never for once thought that you actually died. The night I found your mother's body… I saw that the radish cart was gone. Pushed down a cliffside…"

"That's why I get those dreams about the radishes," Po recognized, feeling amazed. "It happened all those years ago…"

Li smiled, putting a paw on Po's shoulders. "It's good to have you back, son."

Po grinned. "Yeah - yeah I just wish we could have met earlier… and definitely without all this freakin' pressure…"

Li turned his eyebrows up. "Pressure? What pressure?"

"Chi training," Po let out. "Remember? Kai's coming to the Valley - if he hasn't come already… I need to learn it to defeat him."

"Ah," Li affirmed, nervousness shooting through him. "Yes… chi…"

"You know how to do it, right?" Po questioned, suspicious again. "I mean - what'd we come all this way for if not for - "

"I just thought you'd wanna first, I dunno - take in the _place_ first," Li fired back, feeling a bit hurt. "Enjoy meeting others of your kind… hearing everyone's stories… how's Mei-Mei? I heard she has a thing fo - "

"I get all that - _dad_ , I really do," Po replied, feeling a sense of nervous but forced happiness emerge. "It's just - I'm still the Dragon Warrior, yanno? And I feel like - the sooner we get this Kai guy out of the way… the sooner I can relax and just learn to - be a _panda_ again."

Li nodded sadly. "Right… right…"

"So when should we start our training?" Po questioned immediately.

"Uh - tomorrow morning," Li anxiously responded. "Key to a good _chi_ is having a good night's rest, eh?"

Li tapped the panda's shoulder with a grin, choosing to lie back on the ground. He noted that despite his best efforts - his only son still bore a level of disbelief, perhaps even suspicion - towards him.

 **. . .**

For those who were around when it happened, it was not a good sight to see.

Even for those who were far away - perhaps in their group, refugee-esque tents - they could still hear the brunt of the noise.

A crowd consisting of a thousand citizens - shopkeepers, business people, legal workers, Yongshi soldiers, kung fu masters, and so many more - all gathered under the starry moonlight shining down on a rather tiny, grassy portion of the Wu Dan mountains. In this particular nook, which had been set up with makeshift tents to house the hundreds of displaced former Valley of Peace citizens - were all predicated around a single Seeker in the center, who held a deceased fox's body in his arms.

He cradled it. He tenderly stroked the fox's fur.

A few onlookers tried to soothe the boy's crying by putting their paws on his shoulder.

Yet nothing would console him. The seeker merely wept harder and harder, cradling the fox's corpse in his arms with a tender affection that the surrounding citizens had no idea how to imagine.

All the memories.

The moments.

The rock.

Alf couldn't stop crying.

He just didn't want to do anything other than stay with her.

Significantly farther from the crowd surrounding Alf, Shifu and the Five had managed to drag Wang inside a separate tent - roughly pushing the lion in with a grandiose gesture. Tigress quickly closed the tent flap behind her.

"Agh - easy!" Wang let out, sporting a bandage of his own beneath his black armor. "Take it easy…"

Wang observed the simple white, cloth walls with a sole cot in the center. This was technically Shifu and the Five's tent - but the urgency of their questions started to leak through now. Likewise, the Five and Shifu had their own bandages - yet none were quite as severe as Wang's. This did not discourage them, of course - from being extra harsh with him.

"Talk," Shifu grimaced.

"You have a lot to answer for," Viper spat, unusually angry. "It's chaos out there! Citizens displaced! The Valley destroyed!"

"There's a _Seeker_ named Omega coming to _colonize_ this world?!" Monkey retaliated. "Wait how about - SEEKERS EXIST NOW?!"

"Calm down, all of you!" Wang tried his best. "Let me explain…"

"Your lack of communication and ineptness hurt more than just the Valley," Tigress breathed out dangerously, feral snarl coming back. "It - it hurt one of us."

She couldn't get the image out of her head - that original image she had seen when she had come back to pull out Alf from under the broken rubble of the Valley.

Yu's body.

How mangled it was.

By the explosion. By the debris.

How her paw was still outstretched towards Alf.

She had covered it with a spare cloth and urged everyone to bury the body right then and there.

Tigress knew it would be cruel to haul it all the way back to the mountains.

Because Alf would find her.

He would ask about her.

The most hurtful thing was that Tigress saw exactly the moment that occurred when Alf saw that silky white cloth, wrapped gently around Yu's body. She had saw Alf's face just fracture into a million pieces when he had peeled back the outermost layer. Tigress saw the sequence of emotions in Alf - horror, shock, denial, depression, anger - and then back to depression. She had never truly seen him like that - look so broken, so defeated - and he was still outside, cradling her body close to himself. It didn't matter that around him were likewise the corpses of deceased Yongshi soldiers - the point was that his life had been torn away.

"You have hidden much from us," Shifu began, voice stuffed with anxiety. "We lost our home - and our people have lost theirs."

Wang walked right into the center of the angry group, addressing the Five and Shifu with a typically strong, deep tone.

"I think _she'll_ explain it all better," Wang noted.

The Five and Shifu turned around, seeing a distinctive, green-robed goat - one with horns and a thin beard overlapping her face - walk into the tent and close the flaps behind her.

"What is the meaning of this, Soothsayer?" Shifu addressed immediately. "And - where did you come from?"

Unlike Wang, the old goat silenced everyone with a small smile and an understanding look. "I'm Wang's mentor."

The Five and Shifu gasped.

"Okay now I'm really confused…" Crane let out, disturbed.

"Yeah am I secretly Master Oogway's pet goldfish or something?" Monkey noted.

"Or is Po actually Tai Lung's father or some stupid sh - " Tigress began.

"Enough," the goat begged, tired. "Enough… perhaps it is time that all of you knew the _truth_ … starting from the beginning…"

The goat paced into the center of the group, nudging aside Wang roughly with a push. The Five and Shifu watched her move around in exhaustion - yet they had little sympathy for her. The past few weeks had been nothing but broken, disjointed, and random things happening all at once - suddenly Po had a father?

And the father knew chi?

Which happened to be the only thing that could defeat Kai? Where was Po now?

What was Wang doing?

Kai suddenly exploded and died?

What the hell was that _Omega_ talking about?

And now suddenly the old Soothsayer - the one that they had met all the way back in Gongmen - was revealed to be one of the Yongshi?

Tigress had grown frustrated with it all. There was clearly massive amounts of information that nobody was sharing, and too many questions raised. Everything had to be answered right now.

"We have to start at the beginning," the old goat started with a sigh. "This - this world is not our - original home."

"Okay you're drunk or something," Monkey started out in anger. "I've - we've all _lived_ here our entire lives!"

"Plus there are no other _worlds_ with life!" Viper mentioned confidently.

The Soothsayer smiled sadly. "I wish that were true. But no - we may have lived all of our lives here, in fact - all of us on this _world_ have grown up here… but our ancestors - our ancestral _species_ … are not from this world. They _migrated_ to this planet."

"Wait wait - slow down," Shifu intruded suddenly. "Ancestral species? You mean - "

"Our evolutionary predecessors - think of the fathers and mothers of our father and mothers - multiplied thousands of times," the old goat clarified with a wink. "Ancient tigers, ancient lions, ancient pandas, ancient everything… they came here from a very far off place."

The Soothsayer paced again, choosing to sit down on the cot this time. Shifu and the Five shot Wang an angry look - amazed how he had elected to hide this information from them. The lion merely shrugged his shoulders.

"How far off?" Crane queried.

"A distant world called - _Earth_ ," the Soothsayer mentioned. "And on this - ancient world…"

" _Earth_ …." Tigress interrupted, recognizing the name. "That's - that's the place that freak _Omega_ was talking about."

"The first and true _birthplace_ of the Seeker race…" the old goat continued, smirking.

"Okay but what does this have to do with what's happening now?" Shifu asked, confused. "If - "

"Do you know _why_ we call them Seekers?" the Soothsayer suddenly posed.

"That doesn't have anything to do with - "

"Seekers of _knowledge_ ," the goat finished with a knowing gaze, voice low and serious. "On that planet - _Earth_ \- Seekers, or _mankind,_ as they call themselves - lived at peace with our ancestors, albeit an unsteady peace."

The mere influx of new information that was coming in now was greatly intriguing everyone.

"Unsteady how?" Mantis posed.

"Our ancestors were primitive, savage beings," the old goat recalled. "With no rationality. No conscience. We used to walk on four legs and hunt other creatures smaller than us… to eat."

This information greatly disgusted everyone except for Wang, who had obviously heard this before. Tigress in particular recoiled in fear.

"You're _kidding_ ," Tigress let out, shocked. "We were that… feral?"

The old goat smiled. "It may seem _ludicrous_ to us… given our current - _evolutionary_ capabilities… but yes, we were once savages… albeit, we lived at harmony with the life cycle of the time."

The Soothsayer paused, voice turning to depressive tones now. "Mankind on the other hand - did not."

"How?" Viper asked. "Did they try to kill our ancestors?"

"Not directly," the old goat countered, lost in thought. "But mankind - or the _Seekers_ of knowledge - were blessed with incredible capabilities for technological innovation. They - adapted to environments and _built things_. Made things. Performed things that for everyone else on _Earth,_ including our ancestors… were just not capable of. They - they grew so powerful that they eventually subjugated our ancestors to their will."

The Soothsayer paused again, letting the words sink in before continuing. "But mankind was also cursed with greed - a flaw that only grew as their technology and civilizations grew more powerful and advanced. _Nothing_ was enough for them… factors usurped forests, smoke started to fill the sky, and inch by inch - they stained and poisoned _Earth_ beyond all hope of recovery."

Tigress found this oddly believable. She had even instantly compared it to what had happened in the Valley as soon as Shen had been defeated and the cannon technology was revealed - all of China, perhaps even continents beyond Eurasia - had all suddenly become factory-dependent, with forests razed down to build new cities, and green nature dying at the hands of just one single _technological_ achievement.

"Mankind poisoned and polluted the Earth so badly that life as our ancestors knew it was coming to a close," the Soothsayer finished. "But - but our ancestors - despite having nowhere the level of power or sophistication as the Seekers did… did manage to eventually evolve some complexity of their own. It took millions of years - but we could start to talk, walk on two legs, and organize each other."

"And?" Shifu continued the pressing question, everyone practically on the edge with the seriousness of the revelations.

"Our ancestors begged mankind to stop the wanton destruction," the old goat recalled. "Begged mankind to find better ways to build their civilization without destroying the planet."

"They didn't listen, did they?" Shifu interjected.

The old goat got up from the cot, looking away from Wang, the Five, and Shifu. "No. They did not."

A pause, as the old goat seemed to seem genuinely hurt.

"Then - what happened after that?" Monkey asked, although he was scared to hear the response.

The Soothsayer frowned. "Earth eventually began to collapse in on itself. Resources depleted, atmosphere poisonous, life on the planet began to die out like flies…"

"How did our ancestors escape?" Shifu asked again.

"We - we managed to steal one or two ships - _spaceships_ \- these things that can travel beyond the stars, beyond the sky…" the Soothsayer noted. "We - we packed the few survivors into those ships - and blasted off to a totally random destination."

"And Earth?"

The Soothsayer sniffled. "I - I watched it die. What was once a glorious, beautiful blue planet had sunken into a molten mass of red flames and crushed dust… it was - horrible seeing it."

Another pause, as everyone saw the old goat sniffle in silence - clearly lost in painful memories.

"Wait - how did you _see_ it if this was millions of years ago?" Viper asked suddenly. "You would have died al - "

"The speed of time on _Earth_ was much different than the speed of time on _this_ world," the Soothsayer noted. "That - combined with the evolutionary advancements of our ancestors… we all lived a lot longer back then."

Shifu grimaced. "You - you're one of the _original_ ancestors, then."

The Soothsayer smiled. " _The last_ living one, sadly…"

"And what happened to the rest of our - _ancestors_?" Shifu continued.

"We wandered the cosmos aimless for ages," the old goat clarified. "So many of the survivors died on the ships during that long time. Finding a planet as _hospitable_ to life as _Earth_ was… was a true task."

"And then you found _this_ world," Tigress concluded, predicting her next line already. "That's what happened, right?"

The Soothsayer smiled. "Yes. We found this world - and we resolved to _never_ allow _greed_ to destroy our homes, our civilizations, our future… we believed that _we_ could do better than mankind - so, we set about to populate the planet. Finally - we had found a world that was untouched by mankind's selfish desires… a home our ancestors could call their own."

"And thousands of years later, everything shows up again," Monkey deduced. "The Valley, China, all of its people - all from just some random guys who ended up finding a sweet planet to dig into…"

The Soothsayer seemed to cheer up at this, lost in happy thoughts again. "We erased all the memories of those who knew about the past, who knew our previous lives on Earth - entrusting the new guardianship of our people to an organization - a newly created one called the _Yongshi_. Eventually, everyone forgot about the actual _past_ and what actually happened - but everyone still had that fundamental distrust and hatred of Seekers… we started calling them fleshlings."

Wang smiled at this, as the Five and Shifu shockingly turned to the enormous lion with gusto.

 _The Yongshi_ were far older than what anyone had imagined.

Tigress also noted that this explained why everyone - although they had an instinctive dislike towards Alf - could not explain where it was coming from.

And _boy_ was it well-earned.

"But mankind almost found this - haven," the old goat noted out loud, voice serious again. "Thirteen years ago, a vessel - a _Seeker_ vessel - I remember seeing it crash down from the sky."

Wang seemed to recall this too, as he bit his lips in anger.

"Wang was just a boy back then, and I was the effective leader with a young pupil - a pupil named Oogway - you know him."

The Soothsayer's words seemed to strike a confirming bias in everyone's minds. Oogway had definitely been a part of all of this.

"We quickly investigated the Seeker vessel, expecting a fight," the old goat recalled with tension. "But instead we found three unarmed Seekers - a man and his wife, along with a young boy - just about five years of age."

The Soothsayer closed her eyes in frustration. "Perhaps it was fear, or fear that they might call the rest of mankind to this safe place - but we killed the man and his wife instantly."

Another pause.

Silence fell through the room.

The Soothsayer continued. "I - I implored Oogway to kill the boy as well, because I didn't have the heart of it… but I knew it had to be done, to ensure a future for my people… a future away from mankind's greed…"

And suddenly just then - a collective realization hit Tigress like a hammer.

"That - the boy was _Alf_ ," Tigress let out, gasping.

More gasps followed from the rest of the Five and Shifu. Wang nodded his head sadly.

"Clearly Oogway had shown mercy on the boy, considering he's alive now…" the Soothsayer noted in sadness. "But - but at what cost? The - the _beacon_ \- that damn collar you _idiots_ keep using to torture the boy…"

Shifu kept his head down to the ground, feeling the scolding painfully.

"... that is more than just a shock collar," the Soothsayer emphasized. "It's a homing beacon that travels through space… that travels far… to alert the Seekers of any potential planets where life may be found… and every time it's used, the signal becomes stronger, more precise."

"And Shifu's been using it on Alf every day, multiple times - for the last _five years_ ," Viper noted. "Oh man…"

"Ironic that the _one_ time we showed mercy on a Seeker…" the goat continued, frustrated. "It comes back to _haunt us…_ "

"And that's why that _freak_ Omega is coming," Tigress confirmed. "Because… we led him here."

"After Earth's destruction, mankind became ravaging space nomads," the Soothsayer noted. "Constantly looking for a new place to colonize… and well… they found it."

A stern silence fell over the room. A lot of it was because of the amount of revelations that had been suddenly shoved into everyone's minds, which was taking time to process - but another part of it, sadly - was an acknowledgement that perhaps - a hatred for the Seekers was a good and natural part of life, an evolutionary _adaptation_ to growing under millennia of repression under mankind's unjust rule.

"But Angelina is different," Tigress mentioned, attacking the issue on everyone's mind. "She's _better_. Purer. More righteous…"

"I dunno Tigress, is he?" Crane questioned.

"Wha - how dare you!" Tigress retorted angrily. "Look at all the things he's done for us! Tai Lung, Shen… all the fights he's helped with…"

"It's in his _blood,_ Tigress," Shifu noted sadly. "The desire to _control_ and _fight_ … to _build_ things that are so _destructive_ like the Revolver…"

"None of that is on him - he did all of that for us!" Tigress fought against, feeling weird to be defending him for the umpteenth time. "He - "

"When I offered him to come to the Yongshi, I was trying to get a control over him Tigress," Wang noted. "For years I thought he was dead… and now, once I realized he was still alive… I had to invent some pretext to get him to - _submit_ to the Yongshi."

"You were never planning to help him _escape_ oppression," Tigress realized in horror. "You - you were looking for a way to tie up _loose_ ends."

Wang kept silent sadly.

"None of that matters now," the Soothsayer emphasized. "All that matters is right now - we have a Seeker invasion coming soon and we need to _act_."

Everyone merely kept quiet again, seriousness of the situation too grave to say anything useful.

The Soothsayer seemed to get alarmed at some noises outside. "We will discuss later but right now I need to attend to the injured Yongshi…"

The old goat started to walk outside, pushing away the cloth flaps. "Don't believe in him too much Tigress. At the end of the day - he is, and always will be… a Seeker."

The Soothsayer disappeared.

Tigress turned her head down to the ground, sadness rushing through her.

"He's just Alf."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Yu's gone._

 _Yep - she's gone._

 _I can confirm it._

 _This kind of stuff will take time to resolve and explore._

 _Keep in touch._

 _But in other news..._

 _FINALLY! THE BACKSTORY OF THE SEEKERS WAS FINALLY REVEALED!_

 _Was it everything you hoped for?_

 _Confused?_

 _Glad?_

 _Thought it sucked? (XD)_

 _Regardless, I tried to keep this is as subtle as possible throughout the entire series - right from chapter 1 in KFP 1. Obviously Alf being not from this planet was a major hint… but also things like Omega referencing "another world" and other small hints like that I hope helped lead up to the grand reveal quite nicely._

 _Note however, that it's still not revealed why Alf's parents came to the new world in the first place. That's for later ;)_

 _Other than that, someone should really tell Po that learning chi is useless now, given that Kai is well - dead… but then again, I still have a lot of tricks up my sleeve…_

 _Remember the one thing that Omega said the Seekers hadn't evolved - that the life on this planet had?_

 _Hehe… keep your deductive skills sharp, because you're in for a ride…_

 _Support is amazing._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Expect more frequent updates coming up - I just had an insane brainstorming session and am on a sort of writing high right now..._


	45. KFP 3:10

" **Urgency"**

* * *

Alf kept staring at her.

Just laying there.

After he had spent the initial hours just cradling her in silence, eventually he was told to at least move himself and her - body - to a separate tent. Perhaps it was seeing him sobbing in public, or perhaps to shield the young children from the true misery of the situation - either way, Alf didn't protest. He carried her limp form in his arms, gingerly walking into an open tent before placing her body down onto a cot. And then Alf sat next to the cot, clasping her paw in his hands.

It was still outstretched towards him.

Alf tried to suppress the memory, but it came back.

There was hope in her eyes. Clear hope - a strong hope, there just a few seconds before the fire had engulfed her.

He could have sworn he had seen the brown eyes just begin to fade as she realized it was impossible.

It was too much.

 _Please wake up_ , Alf begged to himself, hoping this had to be a nightmare. _Please wake up, please wake up…_

He couldn't help but think of all the things he had yet to learn about her.

Her dead parents.

Asking why she came to the Valley.

Asking why she - of all people - would fall in love with him.

And it was that love that had doomed her.

That love that implored her to stretch out her paw at the last second, begging Alf to save her.

He felt robbed. As if some portion of his soul had been permanently removed - and he had lost the chance to recover it, understand it, or even discuss it anymore. All of his chances and opportunities were gone - yet all the memories were still there. So Alf sat there, dragging his mind through enormous strain as each and every good moment he had with her was painfully repeated in his imagination, conscience torturing him over all the potential that had been lost.

Would he have eventually asked her to be with him - permanently?

Would they have gotten married?

Would they - could they have kids?

Would they have grown old together?

It was too much ambiguity. Too much _not knowing_. Too much of everything.

He shut his eyes.

"Alf?"

His head shot up suddenly, streak of hope sparked by the femininity of the voice. However, it had come from behind him - and Alf's face again morphed into despair as he realized that it was just the golden-robed tiger that he had seen so often.

Tigress closed the cloth flap behind her. "Alf - I - I don't want to do this but - I need to speak to you."

Alf merely kept quiet, motioning back to clutch Yu's lifeless paw.

"It's important," Tigress insisted, walking over to crouch down and look at Alf. "I know this has to be the - worst timing."

Alf squeezed the paw tighter.

Off put by the lack of response, yet not surprised: Tigress continued. "It's - it's about your past."

Alf wondered just how painful it had been for her - to feel the inferno eat away at fur and flesh as she had tried to scream for help which never came.

"Well, it's about more than your past, actually…" Tigress persisted desperately. "... Omega, the Seekers, this planet, this place called _Earth_ … the Soothsayer explained so much to us…"

Alf remembered a few hours ago, when he had peeled back the protective white cloth covering Yu's face - and the level of disfigurement and bloody scarring cut through his heart like fire.

She was unrecognizable.

Veins exposed. Facial bones exposed in messy redness.

Alf reactively shuddered, shutting his eyes.

"Alf?" Tigress questioned again, hoping for any kind of engagement.

"I don't care," Alf quietly responded.

Tigress seemed taken aback by this. "Wha - what? Alf - "

"I don't care," Alf repeated, running a hand against the bandaged portion of the fox's head. "Tigress - please leave."

Tigress merely stared at the boy, who hadn't even moved his gaze in her direction. Alf kept his grip and stare squarely at the blanketed body, voice minimal and movement completely non-existent. Tigress didn't care much for the words - that felt natural at this moment - but the body language of Alf was concerning her.

It looked just as lifeless as Yu's body did.

"I can't imagine how it feels," Tigress emphasized, whiskers flicking as her orange eyes softened - although Alf didn't notice. "But it isn't just about you, or us, or even the Valley anymore… Alf - you really need to hear all of the things the goat told us."

A momentary pause. It was filling Tigress with hope, because Alf slowly - and after a long few seconds - began turning his head towards her. Understandably, he didn't feel confident enough to stare right back at Tigress' softened eyes - despite being mere inches away from her face. Rather, Alf chose to stare directly at the ground Tigress was crouching upon, a feat which she assumed sufficient - especially given all that had just occurred.

Tigress felt hopeful that he would at least listen.

"All my life," Alf began smoothly, lost in wondering. "I've been searching for reasons - to - to keep it all going."

Tigress nodded empathetically in speed, feeling him slowly ease.

"Keep fighting," Alf continued. "Keep helping the Palace. Keep being in the Valley. Hell - just keep being alive."

Tigress smiled at him as calmly and as reassuringly as she could, hoping desperately that his quiet maple eyes would meet her own eventually.

"I lost the last reason yesterday," Alf finished, turning his head back to the blanketed body. "I'm sorry but - I'm done."

Tigress' heart sunk painfully. She watched the boy cradle the fox's covered head closer to his frame, looking more sunken and defeated than Tigress had ever seen him before. With a downcast gaze, she slowly stood up and walked out of the tent as gently as she had entered.

 **. . .**

Po frowned, awaiting Li anxiously.

The older panda had told Po to wait outside the village, at an awkward meadow split in between the powerful, craggy mountainside all around it. A stone pathway led back to the village, sitting in foggy mist - but the meadow was strongly contrasting, with thick bushels of grass and tall lilies perforating the surface. A gentle flap of sunlight filtered in through the clouds, bathing the meadow in streams of highlighting colors.

Po thought to the panda's words.

 _Wait outside, at the meadow outside the village._

 _It helps build chi._

 _Trust me._

 _I'll join you._

Po scoffed. He already had a moderate amount of suspicion over how Li broached the subject - although he kept repeating words like _chi, energy,_ and _vibrations_ … there had never been anything specific that Po could use.

Not a single technique.

Not a single move.

Nothing.

It all felt - _fake_.

Manipulative.

"Lotus!"

Po turned his head up, seeing Li trounce down the hard, stony pathway leading into the meadow. The older panda seemed nervous and sweaty, large belly heaving underneath his green robe and straw hat.

"I've been waiting - _dad_ ," Po noted, still feeling a bit weird to use that.

Li cleared his throat. "Ahem - yeah - sorry about that… so let's begin!"

Po watched in suspicion, as the older panda spun on his toes and flung his arms into the air.

"This is called erm - _chi build up!_ " Li let out half-heartedly. "Build up your chi - son!"

Po sighed, mimicking the motion as his arms went into the sky.

He waited.

He waited for anything.

A feeling.

A pulse.

Some glowing light.

Nothing happened.

"What's supposed to happen?" Po questioned.

"This erm - _tingling_ feeling in your stomach," Li reinforced. "The place where um - all the chi is! Try it again son!"

Po repeated the motion, severe doubt plaguing his mind now.

Still, nothing happened.

"Uh - try doing this!" Li cried out, bending his back over and began to clap his paws like a maniac. "This is called - "

"Dad," Po interrupted, voice serious. "You - you don't know how to do chi - do you?"

Li appeared offended by the question. "Nonsense! Lotus - you just have to try a little - "

"My _name_ is Po," the panda infuriatingly scowled, walking to Li. "Not _Lotus_. Po - the Dragon Warrior."

Li gulped, turning his eyes down. "Right - well… Po, it's all about the balance in your hips and - "

"Dad," Po forced, quieting the older panda quickly. "I - I kinda knew - maybe from the start… that this was gonna happen."

Li kept quiet, face appearing downtrodden.

"But to be honest with you - I didn't really ever _expect_ you to teach me chi," Po mentioned. "But that's why I agreed to come here."

Li blinked twice, each conveying a burst of emotion. He wanted to speak up, but understood Po had to get some things off his chest.

"I - I came here because I thought I could - maybe start _believing_ you're my father," Po concluded, smiling genuinely. "I tried. I really did - and all the pandas here… the celebrations… hehe, even Mei Mei… it's all good… _you're_ such a nice guy."

Li felt his chest puff up with the compliment, but Po was more stern.

"But my father died five years ago," Po finally remarked. "Strangled to death by a psychopathic snow leopard… and as much as I'd like to just - I dunno - _transfer_ all those feelings to you…"

"You just can't," Li finally chimed in, voice unusually serious like Po's - but a mild tremble was in the tone.

Po smiled gently. "You're funny, you're super cool - and - and it was so _amazing_ to meet everyone - other pandas - for the first time."

Li again smiled reciprocally.

"But I have a family," Po noted. "Back at the Jade Palace. At the Valley. Who knows… maybe if we had more time… maybe I could - warm up to everyone."

Li nodded.

"But with Kai coming, and this whole _chi_ thing being kinda a waste…" Po dismally noted. "Everything seems to be coming at the wrong time."

To Po's great surprise, Li walked closer to him with another genuine smile. "Lot - I mean - Po… I get it. You don't have to explain yourself. Go save the world."

Po smiled back, hugging Li with affection for the first time since they had met. "You're still my dad - and who knows, maybe after all this nonsense is gone…"

"You'll start thinking like my _son_ again," Li finished. "I understand. Go save the world, son."

Po smiled peacefully, conscience elevated as he ran back onto the path leading to the panda village.

Li watched him go for a while - a sad, but accepting smile on his face.

And then his body started seizing.

His vision was narrowing.

His eyes burst into green light, face expressionless.

A new voice came in.

 **Touching. I assumed this planet's lifeforms weren't capable of higher emotion.**

 **That will definitely be a focus of study after colonization.**

 **Panda.**

 **You know what to do.**

Li's mouth spoke by itself, muscles and voice forced open, the panda powerless to say anything else - compelled by a mystical force he didn't understand.

"As you wish, Omega."

 **. . .**

Tigress walked out of Alf's tent, feeling dismal. Seeing the hopelessness in Alf's eyes was bad enough - but perhaps, seeing everyone outside - that was even worse.

There were thousands of refugees - all scattering under the gentle sunlight, walking towards each other or white tents set up around this grassy plain of the Wu Dan mountains. There were many anxious families, some scared diplomats - all social classes, both rich, poor, and everything in between - it was simply a mass of scared citizens attempting to comfort each other and their loved ones, too terrified to do anything else. Most still wore their ragged and destroyed robes they had many days ago when they had been evacuated from the Valley - Tigress couldn't imagine the amount of property and wealth had been lost in the city's destruction.

So much crying.

So much praying.

And - as luck would have it - much confusion.

Tigress sighed.

"Hey."

She turned at the unknown voice, seeing Zhong's injured frame just start to appear - heavy bandages circled around his ribs and right leg, hidden underneath grey robes. Ordinarily, she wouldn't even bother to talk to him - but the circumstances of the situation meant he had nothing to lose.

"How's Alf doing?" Zhong asked gently.

"Why do you care?" Tigress harshly delivered. "Don't you have some pandas to go massacre? Or wait - did you and that freak Omega plan to get the Valley _blown_ up?"

Tigress knew this was a ridiculously stupid statement, but the emotion of all the events that had just happened was catching up to her.

Zhong smiled disarmingly back, perhaps expecting this. "I just wanna know how the kid's doing. He's - he's helped me - a lot."

Tigress shook her head, groaning. "I - I'm sorry. He's in that tent."

She pointed out a tent for the wolf, who quickly began walking there. Tigress herself continued her walk forward, cutting a narrow path - across hordes of crying families and children - to a white tent larger than the others, situated at the very edges of the "camp" that been set up here.

Tigress pushed open the tent flaps, hearing a voice greet her immediately.

"Well - how'd it go?"

Tigress looked into the tent, at the massive lion posing the question, frustrated by his insistence. Wang was surrounded by the rest of the Five and Shifu. To Tigress' mild satisfaction, at least some work was being done - there were scrolls and plans clearly let drawn on a table in the center of the tent, and Monkey had closed the cloth flap door behind Tigress - again indicating something confidential was being planned.

"Where's the Soothsayer?" Tigress avoided the first question.

"With the rest of the refugees - outside," Wang promptly replied. "Healing the last of my soldiers. Tigress - _what did the boy say_?"

Tigress sighed. "He's out."

"Out?" Shifu questioned. "What do you mean - _out_?"

"He doesn't want any part of the planning," Tigress noted sadly. "He didn't even let me explain anything that the Soothsayer had told us."

The rest of the Five sadly turned their heads down - perhaps expecting this response from Alf, given his state - but Shifu angrily began walking out of the tent.

"That _coward_ ," Shifu started. "He loses _one_ person he _kind of_ cared about and - I'll show him…"

"Leave him be, Shifu," Wang urged, dragging Shifu back with an enormous paw. "The boy's been through a lot."

Shifu reluctantly stayed in the tent, but Wang turned to address Tigress. "Do you think he - he'll change his mind?"

Tigress merely closed her eyes and shook her head. "No."

Wang sighed. "Well - we better get to work then."

The lion beckoned everyone to the table, where Tigress better caught a glimpse of everything on the scrolls. Most of it seemed to be ideas and various words - some of it from the Soothsayer's scribbling - but others seemed to be rudimentary, hastily drawn maps.

"We now know that Omega and his army are nearing the world very soon," Wang emphasized. "According to my mentor - they'll tend to invade in _stages_."

"Stages?" Viper asked.

"Since Omega still cannot assume a physical form, we can assume that he is still a decent distance away," Wang forced. "But how far he is away - no one properly knows. The Soothsayer estimates - a few weeks."

"That isn't _nearly_ enough time to prepare for a _Seeker freakin' invasion_ ," Mantis concluded. "Anyone tell the villagers yet? How the hell do you think the rest of the world will react to this?"

"We can tell them when we have a concrete plan that allows everyone on this world, to live," Wang noted. "Which we're making now. So, the first stage of the invasion - according to the Soothsayer - will likely be a machine attack."

"Like cannons?" Tigress asked curiously.

Wang laughed darkly. "If only. No - these machines will likely be incredibly more powerful than anything we're used to seeing. We - we're going to need to work together on this one."

"How together?" Crane questioned.

"As much people as we can get," Wang emphasized. "Someone ought to track down Po as well and see how much his _chi_ training has progressed - we need every possible tool to keep as much people alive as possible."

"You think that'll be useful, considering we just saw Kai blow into a million pieces?" Mantis asked sarcastically. "I doubt there'll be _anything_ chi-related that can stop the Seekers now."

"We have to try," Wang forced with a groan. "Anyway - the machine will be the least of our problems. If a machine fails, the Soothsayer says they'll likely send a scout - a _Seeker_ \- to determine how much _firepower_ we're packing."

"We got cannons, and Alf's revolver things," Crane quipped. "You really expect that to fare well against magical energy weapon thingies?"

"Didn't you hear, Crane?" Shifu stepped in. " _Everything we have_."

Wang nodded. "The scout still won't be the last hurdle - we still have to deal with the army."

"There's no way we could even stand up to them," Tigress emphasized. "I mean - it took just _one_ of them to beat us, you, the Yongshi, and all of Team Jade!"

"We're not fighting the army," Wang quickly corrected with a wink. "That'd be suicide - we _do_ however, have an _escape_."

"An escape?" Monkey retorted with irony. "There's no place on this world that… wait…"

Everyone saw Wang grin in mild confidence.

"... you're thinking of _leaving_ this world, aren't you?" Tigress asked in surprise.

"It is the only possible way to escape mankind," Wang asserted.

"Like hell we can," Crane retaliated angrily, feathers prickly. "We've all seen the tech that the Seekers have. We're _way_ behind building _anything_ that can even fly, and _way way way WAY_ behind building something that can go beyond the - the sky."

"Fortunately, we won't have to," Wang let out with a smile again.

"You've lost us all, Wang," Shifu noted, watching his students give each other exasperated sighs.

Wang groaned. "How do you think the boy got onto this _planet_?"

A moment of recollection.

Then realization.

Then anger again.

"That weird - space vessel he crashed down in," Viper started.

"That's _worthless_ ," Shifu promptly cut in. "We don't even know where it is… and even if we did, how could we possibly fit _everyone_ on this world… into such a tiny ship?"

"You haven't seen a Seeker ship, have you?" Wang emphasized with a smile. "Let me worry about cramming everyone. Let's focus on finding it first…"

"And after we find it?" Tigress asked curiously. "After we do this series of increasingly more impossible things - when we get into the ship, and somehow magically figure out how to work it - where will we go?"

Another silence fell upon the room.

Wang frowned. "It's our only shot, Tigress. I never said it would work. Nor would I say what to do - even if it _did_ work."

The rest of the group reminded themselves of this as well.

It was out of their hands now.

But they had to try.

"Let's get moving," Shifu urged.

"Right," Mantis noted. "So all we have to do is tell Po, somehow tell everyone in the world about what's happening, convince them to meet up with us to find this mythical ship that we have no idea where it is, somehow expect to cram everyone in there, and then blast off into nothingness. Oh - and we also have to take on a death machine, a Seeker scout, and a Seeker army all before everything tries to kill us."

Everyone held the series of impossibilities Mantis had uttered.

The series of impossible tasks.

It felt absolutely nonsensical to achieve.

It felt completely idiotic to plan for.

Yet they must keep up the fight.

The will to live.

Something had to keep them going. It felt weird - knowing these might be their last few days at - home. Not just the Valley, or China… but the last few days on this _world_ itself.

Tigress just wished that Alf had found a reason too. To be honest with herself, she didn't know what she was struggling for either - yet she knew that it couldn't end like this.

It just couldn't.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Surprise surprise… Omega and Li do indeed have a connection - although the exact nature of that connection will come up later._

 _One thing I wanted to show in this chapter is how peacefully and realistically Po resolves his father thing. On one hand, he always kinda suspected Li didn't know anything about chi… so he skips past that by saying he wanted to come to the village because he wanted to understand more about his father's past, and the pandas, and himself - and maybe - just start to love him like a father._

 _He couldn't._

 _A lifetime of experiences in the Valley - as well as with the late Mr. Ping - all couldn't be thrown away in just a few weeks of meeting the new father, even if they are related._

 _But Po left the door open! Maybe after all the conflict is over… they can learn to be father and son… never lose hope! Although remember - Po still thinks_ _ **Kai**_ _is the threat, lmao._

 _In other news, Wang and Team Jade have an enormous task on their hands - to somehow ensure the safety of the Valley's refugees, and protect the rest of the world - from an enormous Seeker invasion. I know a lot of people might be thinking… how the hell are they advanced if it's taken them this long to come to the planet? XDXD. I can only say that they were VERY far away - even by human standards. Let's just say some million light years, or some nonsense._

 _But regardless, they're close. KFP 3 WILL have the Seekers landing on the planet._

 _And Wang, Team Jade, and everyone else - has to find a way to make sure everyone lives. As Wang said - fighting these things isn't an option._

 _And poor Alf! I wanted his mindset to read like: "ok, so who gives a sh about the seekers or anything else - i just lost everything i had" - so he doesn't even bother hearing the rest of what Tigress wanted to say because he's in the mindset where nothing matters. The essential message is that Alf feels kinda worthless right about now, kinda like it doesn't matter what happens now… considering that the universe has been so crappy to him, it can't get any worse…_

 _Can it?_

 _Jk._

 _See ya next time. Lol._

 _Support is so incredible I wet myself every time. (TMI, I know.)_

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Again, on a writing "high" so will pump out chapters quickly - really wanna get to the end of KFP 3... and we're at the halfway point. (9ish chapters to go!)_


	46. KFP 3:11

" **The Death Machine"**

* * *

"Gather around!" Wang barked out loudly, waiting for the refugees to listen. "Come quickly - everyone!"

The refugee camp was in panic.

Although the lion wasn't sure who had leaked the information - or perhaps a citizen was listening in - the camp was in a frenzy. There were already rumors of an army of Seekers coming to destroy the world, and there was also the notion spreading that Team Jade and the Yongshi had no recourse towards defending everyone. Adding to this was the cramped confines of the refugee tents - approximately a few thousand former Valley citizens, displaced by the explosions - were all jammed into perhaps thirty tents alongside several hundred Yongshi assassins and Team Jade. One particular absence was there - Alf, who remained in his tent with Yu's body despite several calls to come outside. Fortunately however, the camp's location - in the mysterious and well-hidden nook of the Wu Dan mountains, enveloped by fog and thick sunlight - offered them some protection stealth-wise, but everyone acknowledged nothing could prevent a Seeker invasion. So, it was up to Wang and Team Jade - who stood at the head of the encircled refugee group, grassy perimeter carefully covered by black-robed Yongshi - to start the "plan" the Soothsayer emphasized as quickly as possible.

"Is the Valley really gone?"

"I can't find my son!"

"Rations are running low…"

"Are we under attack?!"

The crowd of angry voices was easily dominated by Wang's, whose deep tones silenced everyone else's.

"ORDER!" the lion roared, earning quiet in the camp for the first time in days. The old goat stood behind him, who nodded at the Five and Shifu behind her to make sure they understood.

"We are - indeed, under attack by a Seeker army," Wang emphasized.

The crowd of murmurs and anxious whispers grew. Some female pigs audibly gasped, while others held onto their loved ones a bit closer.

"We all saw what happened to the Valley - there's no going back now," Wang announced, trying to ignore the mild sobs that were also starting to emerge from the crowd. "But - we _do_ have the advantage of making it all out - _alive_ \- if we just proceed according to the plan."

This was a giant promise that both the Soothsayer and Shifu had urged Wang not to give, but it helped stabilize the crowd a bit. Wang himself didn't seem to be bothered by the dubiousness of making this promise.

"What's the plan?" a sheep asked, pushing his way to the front of the crowd.

"We do this in steps," Wang emphasized. "Some of my men and Team Jade, will start by recalling the Dragon Warrior, and start sending messages to every kingdom and province - from China to Europa - about the situation at hand."

"What are we supposed to do?" the sheep fired back, gaining mild applause from the rest of the crowd. "Just sit here and wait for the fleshlings to massacre us!?"

Wang waved powerfully, urging silence again.

"The rest of my men and Team Jade will escort you all to a secretive location," Wang cut across. "Here, we will all get onto a erm - ship of sorts… a transport vessel, that will take us all to a safe haven - away from this world."

This earned jeers and anger from the crowd, who started the protests once more.

"A ship?! Where is this damn thing?"

"Off-world… will we ever come back here?"

"Where would the ship take us? Right into Seeker hands?!"

"How do we know - "

"SILENCE!" Wang roared, growling ferociously as even Shifu and the Soothsayer recoiled a bit in fear - the crowd practically ceased all talking. "These are our options! If you do not like them - feel free to stay here and get slaughtered!"

The crowd held the lion's aggressive words. They looked at each other nervously, unsure of how to respond to the bluntness of this statement.

"But anyone who wants to live…" Wang started, stressing the words. " _Do. As. We. Say."_

This went over the crowd's minds - they really had no choice in the matter. Gradually, the massive group of citizens started to break up and talk to each other - some headed for the tents, clearly trying to pack as much as possible - while others talked to the Yongshi soldiers guarding the refugees, scared and still confused.

"We need to act quickly," Wang privately noted, walking back to the Five, Shifu, and the old goat. "Zeng!"

A mild, scared bird ran into the group from the crowd, bowing his head. "Yes?"

"Fly as far as you can in the Southern and Western directions - deliver one of these scrolls to each kingdom you see," Wang emphasized, handing the bird a bag with at least fifty scrolls. "Most importantly, link up with the Yongshi of that kingdom and ask them to send their own birds in all directions - we need as much coverage as possible."

Zeng nodded, gulping. Team Jade noted a black-robed Yongshi suddenly appear at Zeng's side, evidently another bird who would help deliver the message.

"Best luck to you, Zeng," Shifu honestly stated. "Fly fast, friend."

The bird nodded in earnest dedication, launching off into the blue sky as the Yongshi beside him followed with an effortless jump.

"You have Yongshi in other places too?" Mantis asked atop Monkey's shoulder.

"Eyes and ears everywhere," Wang noted with a smile. "Crane."

Crane stepped forward, having already guessed his role - given his capabilities. "I'm guessing I'm going to cover - North and East?"

Wang smiled, handing him a similar bag of scrolls. "Don't worry if the local governments seem - _disbelieving_ \- of what's happening, at first. Just make sure the Yongshi of the area know about it… my men will take care of the evacuations."

Another Yongshi soldier arrived from the crowd, standing beside Crane.

"Good luck Crane," Viper noted earnestly.

"Come back in time," Tigress emphasized, shaking the bird's shoulder.

Crane nodded, launching into the sky like Zeng. After a moment of pause, the black-robed Yongshi also similarly flew up - both birds departed in the opposite direction Zeng had his Yongshi company had left.

"What tasks are left?" Tigress asked.

Wang scratched his impressive mane. "Notifying the Dragon Warrior, finding the ship, and taking everyone there."

"What about the death bot and the scout?" Tigress asked. "Not to mention the Seeker army…"

"We'll deal with those as they come," Wang noted. "But our priority isn't fighting anymore - that option is suicide. It's survival."

Wang nodded at the rest of the Five and Shifu, making sure they absolutely understood the mentality everyone was supposed to be in.

"I'll go after Po."

The new voice both delighted and saddened the group. From out of the corner of their eyes, Alf had just appeared - walking to the Five, Wang, the Soothsayer, and Shifu with the slowest of walks - gaze downcast and voice very quiet.

"Boy," Shifu started in hesitation. "Are you sure you're - ready to - "

"Yes," Alf interrupted simply. "Where's the panda village?"

Everyone felt mildly suspicious. Alf hadn't even bothered to listen to the rest of what everyone was trying to tell him - so they weren't even sure how up-to-date he was with what was happening. There were so many questions on everyone's minds…

Did he know about how he got here?

About _Earth_?

About what was truly happening?

"It's a big camp, yanno," Alf let out, clearly trying to soothe everyone's hesitation. "I - I understood - a lot. All of it."

Alf suddenly turned his attention to Wang. "Thanks for _leading me_ on all that _join the Yongshi_ bullshit, by the way."

The lion turned his head to the ground, embarrassed.

The Soothsayer chose to interrupt now, walking forward to gently clasp Alf's shoulders, shaking it mildly.

"What persuaded you to change your mind?" the Soothsayer asked gently.

Alf watched the Five and Shifu observe him. Wang was watching him with a realm of suspicion - almost as if he was ready to fight Alf in a moment. Regardless, he stayed calm and avoided everyone's stares, choosing to focus on the old goat's amusing features.

"Maybe after listening to all the evil shit my - my kind did," Alf interrupted, voice firm but emotional. "Maybe this is my big chance - to prove that I'm one of the _good guys_."

The Five collectively smiled at him. Even Shifu gave a half-proud smirk, aged whiskers and cheekbones lighting up in admiration. Wang nodded slowly, as the Soothsayer smiled broadly at Alf. The Seeker himself did nothing but remain firm and confident, and perhaps even a bit excited - even though the circumstances were very grave, and the odds near impossible - there was that sense that it was no longer "himself" vs everyone else anymore - now everyone felt united.

And he was a part of it.

"I'll go with him," Tigress mentioned, walking over to Alf's side.

"I don't need help," Alf emphasized.

"Somebody's gotta be around to strap your bra up," Tigress let out with a smirk.

Alf growled. "Seriously?"

"It's settled then," Wang concluded. "The boy and Tigress will go after the Dragon Warrior… the rest of us will stay here and find the ship - and start the move, as soon as we can."

Alf nodded, turning to get a map from Monkey's paws. He scanned the directions gingerly with Tigress standing close - the panda village was fortunately not too far away, with Shifu having scrawled on _3 days, fast pace_ in miniscule handwriting near the pathway leading from the Valley to the panda village.

"Let's hope Po doesn't freak out after we tell him everything," Alf noted to Tigress, who grinned back at him.

Alf turned to leave the group, acknowledging that the time they had to do these series of impossible tasks - was very, very little.

He turned back suddenly. "Soothsayer?"

The old goat turned to face him, staring straight into Alf's eyes.

"You - _not_ killing me thirteen years ago," Alf reckoned. "I'm gonna prove that it wasn't a mistake."

The Soothsayer watched the young boy walk off with Tigress, smiling to herself.

"I dearly hope so," the old goat simply remarked.

 **. . .**

"ARGH!" Li screamed, although he was too far from the panda village to alert anyone.

The voice in his head had compelled him to move far away from the village - down rocky steps that led into thick grassland, sitting underneath fog that hid the mountain's craggy sides. Here, among bushels of foliage and wild plants - the only one for the next few miles was just Li. The impenetrable, hazy sky above him did nothing to help his case - it stifled and bounced back all the sounds that Li had made in an attempt to call someone to his aid. The panda could see nothing for miles except the grassy terrain, and feel nothing behind and above him except the foggy mountainscape leading up to the panda village.

"Please… please… whoever you are…" Li begged, shaking in his green robes and straw hat. "Please leave me alone."

 **You don't remember me - panda?**

Li thought back desperately. "I - no…"

 **Hmm.**

 **Perhaps restoring your consciousness inadvertently scrambled your hippocampus.**

 **Allow me to fix this.**

Li understood none of what the voice said, but he felt a burst of pain ride through his head. It was an awkward, searing pain - almost like burning - yet it didn't actually injure him, just made his mind go haywire and start to almost faint. After a few seconds of this, Li had the chance to clear his head…

… and what he started to remember terrified him.

 _The blade._

 _The bull._

 _The blades going into his chest._

 _Pain._

 _Then nothing._

 _Then everything went back to normal again._

"I - " Li breathed, gasping. "I - I was stabbed…"

 **Yes - by a rather idiotic former thrall of mine.**

 **Well - I suppose it was in exchange for him being able to destroy the Valley.**

 **But, Kai was the last of my - experiments with your world's lifeforms.**

Li understood the bull to be Kai. "Wait - this - guy - after he stabbed me - you - you saved me?"

 **He killed you.**

 **Stopped your biological function.**

 **I am merely reanimating you through via intergalactic reanimation.**

 **You're not alive.**

Li shook his head. "No - no… I feel alive! I remember every - "

 **You are nothing more than a consciousness restored to its body.**

 **Kept alive by my connection.**

 **And when my use for you runs out - you shall die.**

Li shuddered. "Use - what use?"

 **There is only one way the lifeforms on this planet can escape colonization.**

 **Epsilon-4.**

 **The escape vessel.**

 **The ship that your planet's human - Seeker - arrived in.**

"Alf?" Li questioned, thinking back to the young man he had met back in the Valley. "I - I don't understand… why even - _reanimate_ me if you - cared about something else?"

 **I had hoped Epsilon-4's location was with the other panda.**

 **But now - it seems no one properly knows.**

 **No matter.**

 **Continue walking.**

And Li was forced to walk, watching the village and mountain fade behind him as a single tear escaped his eyes.

 **. . .**

The refugee tents had been hastily abandoned.

Wang had decided that above all other things - they had to keep moving forward somehow. Neither himself nor the Soothsayer knew when the "death machine" would arrive, but just from common-sense they knew that the more the population moved around - the harder it would be to track them. Wang hoped desperately that the machine wouldn't go after Alf - considering he had the beacon wrapped around his neck - although he didn't want it near his refugees either. Currently, in the voluminous moonlight that flowed over the crooked valleys of the Wu Dan mountains - an enormous group of several thousand animal refugees moved alongside a narrow, elevated precipice hugging the edge of the mountain, dressed in makeshift robes to keep out the fierce, biting cold. Wang had partitioned all of his surviving Yongshi and the remainder of Team Jade on all sides of the civilians - the coordinated group moved along the rocky ledges as quietly as possible, guided forward by a single lamp held by Wang's tall frame. Shifu followed closeby, avidly watching out for anything that could possibly be a threat - scanning surrounding trees, grassy steppes, and the night sky for any signs of an impending attack. Wang had spent the entire walk perusing over his classified scrolls, searching for any indication where the "escape vessel" had been buried. The lion was kicking himself over allowing Alf - indeed, the last lifeform to perhaps step foot in the vessel, even if it was thirteen years ago - to go off in pursuit of Po, although the boy's emotional circumstances were understandable. Adding to the strain, Tigress - perhaps the _one_ master who was on Wang's level of combat prowess - had also left the group with the boy.

The sole exception, perhaps the only bright spot had been Soo Lin and Zhong - the wolf, and the jackal for the (formerly, before it was destroyed) _Chinese Daily_ think tank or news organization. The female jackal was spending much of her time going through the refugee ranks, trying to calm people down and restore order - an irreplaceable debt which Wang now owed her. Although he had assumed she was just doing it because he had agreed to leak the Revolver plans to her - Wang understood right away (after seeing the way she interacted with the refugees) that perhaps, she really did care about them. Zhong followed suit - and although the citizens naturally distrusted him due to his history and intimidating demeanor - Zhong managed to croak out some words of soothing calm to help pacify the hordes of refugees… like Soo Lin, he had spent his time walking through the crowds, comforting families and displaced citizens with kind words, hugs, and occasional reassuring proverbs. And although Wang didn't know the full extent of what Zhong had done under Shen - besides massacring most of the pandas, and perhaps countless more people - he understood that the wolf was clearly trying to turn over a new leaf.

And that made Wang feel slightly calmer.

It was still overall nerve-wracking though, moving through the darkness with a horde of scared refugees - thousands of females, children, and young males all hugging and crying silently as they dove through the unforgiving night air.

"Wang," Shifu breathed next to the enormous lion. "Look."

The lion turned his gaze up to the sky, voice practically seizing on itself.

His eyes began to glimmer.

His frame was paralyzed in fear.

Traveling through the night air - and heading directly for the ledge they were all on - was a metal pod, distinctive insignia on its exterior.

Flames followed behind the pod.

It was clearly entering from beyond the sky.

"Get ready," Wang emphasized, pulling a sword out immediately from his back.

The action worried Shifu, who spoke back with anxiety. "What? Wang! What's happening?"

Wang gulped, trying to displace his fear.

"Stage 1."

 **. . .**

The travel to the panda village had been vigorously brisk. Alf was grateful that it was Tigress accompanying him and not Po (despite the fact that they were going towards him) - with the panda, he might have walked and laughed the whole way there, easily doubling the travel time. But Tigress sprinted and leapt the whole way - across craggy mountainscapes, thick grasslands, dense forests - and when tired, when sleepy, and she relentlessly pushed Alf to keep up.

Although she would never admit it to him, Tigress was proud on how far Alf had come - she had always seen it, but this journey in particular proved that all of the brutal training she had subjected him too was paying dividends. Alf kept up at near-equal speed with Tigress on foot - despite running on two legs instead of four - and he appeared to have much higher endurance, as she needed breaks often while Alf kept the relentless pace going. Conversation between them was minimal, and this had helped increase the pace of the journey.

The threat of a foreign species coming to colonize and massacre everyone also helped increase the urgency.

Currently, they were well past the halfway point in the path to the panda village in just under a day, which was spectacular even by Jade Palace standards. Therefore, right now as they trudged through a particularly dense forest filled with marshlands and running streams all around them - Tigress for once had advised to go a bit slower… just walk for a few hours before resuming their frantic intensity. Alf obliged instantly.

Tigress watched him move smoothly a few steps ahead of her, hopping over rocks and boulders ever present in the grassy land around them. A multitude of trees and gentle insect noises made the entire process more isolated and private, which perfectly fit Tigress' _real_ goal for slowing down.

She wanted to know more about him.

Know more about how he was feeling.

Know how Alf felt about all the insane history that the Soothsayer had revealed.

Tigress remembered literally being shocked into silence after hearing it.

She had no idea how Alf had felt.

She could only imagine.

"Allison," Tigress called out, seeking to somehow segue into a healthy conversation with the unusually closed off young man. "Slow down."

And Tigress had to remind herself of that often - he was an adult now.

No longer that gawky, awkward kid back at the Dragon Warrior tournament.

Tigress wondered whether Alf felt that his - _background_ \- had precluded him from a having a childhood he could reminisce happily about. Although Tigress herself didn't have fond memories at the orphanage, that suffering ended as soon as Shifu came - whereas Alf's life never seemed to let up on the amount of cosmic "gut punches" it could provide to him. Tigress didn't fathom how Alf could be from the same species - the same species which had grown so greedy and corrupt that they had destroyed an entire _world_.

Alf smiled gently, slowing his pace so he was now walking alongside her. "That's your favorite, huh?"

"What is?" Tigress asked.

" _Allison_ ," Alf mused. "That or _Angelina_. Those are like - your favorite insults to use against me…"

Tigress appeared downcast. "Insults… that's erm - how you think of them?"

Alf chuckled, perhaps for the first time in days. "Well - I'm a dude and erm - you keep calling me by those _girl names_."

"Huh," Tigress let out, disappointed. "I dunno - I always thought of them as - kinda nicknames."

"Nah," Alf disputed, smirking. " _Alf_ is short enough as is. You just - I guess you just love torturing me - through the names, or training my ass off…"

He said the words playfully, with a broad grin on his face - but Tigress wasn't interested in that right now.

She wanted sincerity.

Wanted to understand how he was really feeling.

"I don't call anyone else by nickname," Tigress clarified with a smile. "It's just you."

Alf snorted. "Ah… I'm so honored _master_ … thank you for bestowing me the sole privilege of constant _emasculation_ …"

This made Tigress genuinely laugh.

"Leave the names alone - how about let's count up the times you explicitly made a _girl_ joke about me?" Alf let out with a smirk, half-laughing himself. " _Strap your bra up_ , all the times you've said _good girl_ to me, asking me if I'm on my _period_ …"

"Are you?" Tigress interrupted suddenly.

Alf groaned. "By the scrolls… screw off…"

Tigress was ecstatic. This was the first time in days that Alf was just beginning to talk and speak naturally like he usually was - she suspected that keeping his mind off Yu and more on the present was helpful. Yet at the same time, she wanted to press into his feelings and understand them more - Tigress just didn't know a segue subtle enough to do so, at least one that wouldn't make Alf resentful and closed off again.

"You know, for someone who has a reputation for being ultra hardcore and stuff," Alf questioned, shaking his head. "You're pretty darn - well, maybe not soft but I guess - _decent_ to me?"

Tigress smiled. "Yeah - Wang once told me it's because we're kinda similar… you and me."

Alf huffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Yeah Wang's good at saying _bullshit_ …"

Although she agreed that Wang was generally dishonest, Tigress had seen some evidence to his claims of similarity between the two.

"He said - you reminded him of _me_ ," Tigress emphasized. "Our histories, our personalities - not to mention our fighting skills…"

Alf held the thoughts in his mind, evaluating them out of curiosity. "Yeah I mean - I guess on the surface, we both got kinda _shitty_ cosmic _hands_ \- orphaned and sorta misunderstood…"

Tigress nodded her head.

"But you're like - _the Legendary Master Tigress_ ," Alf quickly countered. "Your personality is all - aggressive and leader-like, and - I mean I've come a long way but - aside from Wang, I don't think _anyone_ in China, maybe even the world… is on _your_ _level_ of kung fu mastery."

Tigress smiled at the compliment, having received this many times before from different people.

"Plenty of people have shitty lives," Alf sighed. "Some of them - with your kinda personality and drive - become _great…_ like you."

Tigress was growing concerned at the level of pessimism in his voice. "And the rest?"

Alf smiled sadly. "The rest end up like me, I guess."

Just then Tigress realized that she had found her segue.

Her way _in_ to his emotions.

All she had to do was naturally let him vent for a while.

Let him speak.

Tigress stayed quiet, silence encouraging the Seeker to keep speaking.

"Even after all the _shit_ that I've been through, five years living in the Valley… wearing this _stupid_ thing…" Alf noted, fingers aggressively pulling at his collar. "I - I always thought that it was all kinda _worth_ it. I mean - the greatest - accomplishment of my life… finding _her_ …"

Tigress instantly understood who he was talking about.

"Yu was just - the literal _best_ thing in my life," Alf remarked. "The _one_ thing I could always fall back on and say - hey, I managed to do _something_ with the hand I got dealt."

Tigress again just stared at him, watching Alf's face cloud in a sea of negative emotions.

"After what happened to her, and just seeing her face and body like that…" Alf continued, voice quivering a bit. "... I dunno. Maybe - maybe this is my destiny."

This forced Tigress to speak up. "What destiny?"

"Maybe _this_ is the way my life is supposed to be," Alf observed, sighing. "Alone. Maybe I was an idiot to think my life - considering who I am - would turn out any different."

Tigress - despite the greatest urges in her to say something to counter this - kept quiet.

She had to let him vent it all out.

"All I'm saying is that we're not alike," Alf concluded glumly. "Some of us get to be like you - great, and successful - most of us, I guess - end up like me."

Tigress smirked. "Yeah, I'm the _Legendary Master Tigress_ \- the twenty-two year old who can't get her own _father_ to approve of her… who's hopelessly in love with a panda… who can never - "

She paused herself, shocked.

Tigress had tried so hard to relate her experiences to his that she ended up divulging too much.

Alf of course - squealed with joy. "WHAT?! YOU TOLD PO YOU LOVED HIM?!"

Tigress tried to shake her head, desperately protesting. "What? No! I never - "

"Don't bullshit me!" Alf squeaked out, jumping up and down like a maniac. "When did you tell him?!"

"Let's just go back to you talking about how pathetic your life is…"

"No no no! Come on! You psychoanalyze me, I get to psychoanalyze you!"

Tigress sighed, realizing that it was inevitable now. "I - I might have - might have told him I loved him before he - he left for the panda village."

Alf's eyes burst open with crazy happiness - a welcome sight to see for her, especially after being in such a low, depressed state - yet Tigress had to add her own explanation.

" _But_ I told him that _now_ was not the right time," Tigress clarified.

"The hell does that mean?" Alf asked, stunned. "You said you loved him… half of the Five and me were making bets on whether you two would get together in Gongmen… I _lost_ that bet, by the way…"

"Tinkerbell," Tigress sternly noted, addressing Alf with a surprisingly never-used name. " _Shifu_ is my father. _The world_ is about to be _invaded_. You really think _now_ is a good time to go _leaping_ into his arms?"

Alf huffed, voice unusually serious again. "There _never_ is a right time, Tigress - trust me - you wanna say all of the stuff on your chest - before it's too late."

The final words of this sentence hit Tigress with painful gravity.

She watched Alf keep up a melancholy, but persistent smile.

"Trust me," Alf broke in. "I know."

Tigress nodded, choosing to say nothing back - and also choosing to divert the conversation elsewhere. "Okay - so what about Shifu?"

It was ironic that Tigress was taking the pressure off of a highly emotional subject by deflecting onto another highly emotional subject - albeit for her rather than Alf.

"Oh come on - Tigress, we all _saw_ the way he treated you in Gongmen," Alf scrutinized. "I mean - I guess _I_ didn't see because I was too busy getting tortured in Shen's creepy cave where that stupid metal ship was… but my point is you've gotta stop expecting his approv - "

"Wait," Tigress paused. "The ship…"

An inspiration had hit her like wildfire.

It was satisfying enough that both herself and Alf were getting a kind of therapeutic stress relief by talking to each other…

...but as soon as Alf had brought up those days in the cave two years ago…

… the ship.

 _The_ ship.

The only ship that Alf had insisted back in Gongmen - was a _Seeker_ ship…

It couldn't be a coincidence.

Nothing else on this world could explain it.

It _had_ to be the escape vessel.

"Alf," Tigress suddenly asked with seriousness, grasping both his shoulders. "The ship… do you remember where it was - outside Gongmen?"

Alf perused his memories. "I - I mean yeah - if I can get to Gongmen but… I thought it _disappeared_ right? Remember - I - I kept saying it _disappeared_ when you guys saved me - Zhong said so too…"

"I doubt it," Tigress cut across. "I think Wang'll know what to do about that information… damn it! I wish I would have remembered that before…"

Tigress kept pacing, stressed. "We have to get to Po as fast as possible - then send a bird to Wang about the ship's location - then head straight to Gongmen. Time is running out."

"Tigress, I told you back then - the ship disappeared - it couldn't be that - that _escape_ vessel I crashed in!"

"Just trust me. Let's get going."

Tigress started a sprint, waiting for Alf to get into his position. But she paused midway, holding the Seeker back with a genuine look.

"Alf."

"Hmm?"

"You're not like the rest of them. The Seekers."

Alf gave one of the broadest grins Tigress had seen on him. She extended a paw towards his thick dark hair, ruffling it to his mild annoyance.

"Better keep up Angelina."

 **. . .**

Wang was thrown back from the impact.

The lion tumbled down a steep, rocky slope - fear slashing in his eyes as the sounds above him filled him with dread.

Screaming.

Crying.

Flesh tearing.

Wang settled off the dust he had accumulated from the fall, trying to get a sense of his surroundings.

The impact had pushed him down the edge of the cliffside, forcing him to tumble down into a deep, grassy meadow below the crags of the Wu Dan mountain. Although there was significant, green tree cover that nearly blocked his vision - Wang could see just the edges of the cliff he had fallen off of, events unfolding in the basking moonlight.

On the cliff's edge, the formerly thousands of refugees were being cut down with incredible quickness - young, old, females, children, males - everything was being mowed down in a ferocious onslaught of blood and explosive forces. The front of the group were being demolished almost instantly - while the significant majority in the back of the group started running the opposite way in fear, terrified amongst the flashing and chaotic bursts of red lights. The only exceptions were Shifu, the black-robed Yongshi still alive, and Masters Viper, Monkey, and Mantis - this sole group was trying to press their way to the front, but was forced back with more concussive and bright forces no one could even fathom.

And the - _thing_ \- responsible for all the killings was sitting right at the front of the group.

Enormous. Metallic. With four crude, spiked, leg-like extensions shoving it head and shoulders above the rest of the refugees - it had a perfectly cylindrical, massive body. At the very center of the body was a large, gaping red hole - which rhythmically pulsed with red light, pausing for a brief second before blowing out of the port in a vicious spurt of aggression. Wang didn't even understand the technology of the death machine - but he did know that whenever that red beam would cross a refugee - the body would be cleanly split alongside the pathway of the red beam.

And the machine was doing this to as many refugees as possible. Wang had estimated that at least a quarter of the group had been cut down already - mutilated bodies laying along the stony cliffside like demented ornamentation. Neither Shifu, nor the Yongshi, nor the remnants of Team Jade - even as they fought their heart out - could do nothing but get thrust back by one of the machine's enormous metal legs.

Wang composed himself, pulling out his sword in a flurry.

He desperately ran up the steep cliffside, trying to get up to the rocky pathway he had been blown off as the machine had landed. Wang's breathing grew more ragged as he heard more screaming and bursts of the red beams of light.

In a few moments, he reached the edge.

Shifu flew back in Wang's direction, landing near the lion's feet.

"R - r - run…" the red panda gasped, blood trickling down his mouth.

Wang gently picked up the comparatively tiny master, putting him a distance away from the action. He turned to his left - the crowd of refugees were still anxiously running past him, seeking to escape the red death beams the machine was emitting, although their numbers had perhaps halved. To Wang's right, a number of figures were actively trying to fight the machine - Viper, Mantis and Monkey were circling around its legs uselessly, trying somehow to disable its hold - while the few remaining black-robed Yongshi oscillated around the red beams, narrowly missing death at every second.

Wang lunged forward in the moonlight, sword extended.

He needed to end this now.

The machine's "eye" saw him.

A burst of red light.

Wang dove to the side, but the beam casually cut through his defensively-oriented sword, cleaving it in two - and the beam rushed past his shoulder, burning off half of the flesh. The lion fell to the ground in a yelp of pain.

"GO FOR THE EYE!" Wang roared. "THE EYE! THE EYE!"

This seemed to register in the rest of the combatant's eyes. Viper swung behind the machine to pounce on its balled "head", seeking to pull it away from massacring the fleeing refugees - while Mantis kept a somewhat useless barrage of attacks against the machine's impenetrable metal legs. The Yongshi soldiers - perhaps just twenty left - danced around the machine's circling red death beams, eventually managing to chuck a few projectile knives into the machine's eye. Unfortunately, it merely blasted the knives into nothingness with more beam bursts.

"DISTRACT IT!" Wang begged, trying to pick up his broken sword, knowing the jagged end could still do damage.

Monkey smashed into the machine's legs powerfully - impactful enough to force its balled head to oscillate down. The machine elegantly picked up one of spiked legs, driving it down in cruel aggression. The movement was simply too quick for Monkey to evade - he howled as the spike wedged itself into his ribs, effortlessly tearing through bone and muscle. A pool of blood began spreading immediately.

"NO!" Viper roared, still circled around the machine's head.

Wang groaned, beginning a fierce sprint forward. The machine detected him instantly, blasting yet another red beam of light at him. Wang knew there was no other option.

He jumped straight up.

And took the brunt of the blast.

He had been lucky. It managed to just clip his abdomen - although a solid chunk of flesh and waist had been instantly disintegrated by the red beam. Wang let out a feral roar - mixed with both pain and anger - as he shoved the broken sword end into the machine's red eye.

A cracking noise.

Wang fell down, finally losing consciousness.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Note: remember this planet isn't Earth, so there's only two continents - China and Europa, both kind of homages to China and Europe on Earth, but it's safe to say the geography of this planet is considerably different._

 _What a tense chapter! Hehe… I really wanted to drive home how powerful the death bot was - it's already killed half of the refugees, and we don't know how effective Wang's last minute tactic was against it… Shifu's injured, Monkey's injured, things lookin' pretty grim… and remember, they still have to fight the Seeker scout, and the army!_

 _Second, the Omega-Li connection was finally revealed! So he's alive yet not alive… and Omega clearly is trying to use him to find the ship and destroy it before it can be found. Note that the big "reveal" that the ship was near Gongmen wasn't much of a reveal at all - Tigress just put together the pieces from the torture chapters in KFP 2!_

 _Speaking of Tigress, I loved writing her dialogue with Alf (who btw, surprise surprise - is back in). I intended it to be a kinda honest look into how Alf perceived himself after five years living under the Valley, as well as it reflecting on Tigress' own insecurities. I also wanted to show that even if their relationship is strained a lot, there is some genuine care underneath that… and Tigress' playful ribbing (girl's names, etc.) are really just that - playful ribbing with a dude she perhaps feels comfortable with - perhaps the only guy she feels comfortable with aside from Po._

 _Anyway, more to come. (Still on that writing high baby!) Just 8 chapters left in KFP 3!_

 _Support breaks down my hard heart._

 _~TW_


	47. KFP 3:12

" **Fortuitous"**

* * *

"We should be here."

"That's your guess?"

"Well - yeah."

"Check the map again, Allison."

"Oh for the lovea - fine!"

Alf perused the thick scroll, tracing his finger from their original point - the Wu Dan mountains - to the destination - the panda village. They had made all the characteristic "checkpoints" the map described: a dense patch of forests, a long desert, some snow cliffs - and now they were right on the panda village drawing. However, as Alf and Tigress had spent the last five minutes arguing about - there was nothing here except a wide span of grassland as far as the eye could see, followed by an impossibly large mountain that shot straight into the foggy sky - penetrating a fog so dense that any light (or lack thereof) wasn't visible to anyone on the ground. One exception did exist - a well at the very base of the mountain, which had a single rope attached to it.

"I don't understand," Tigress noted, pacing around in her golden robes. "The village should be right here."

"Yeah I heard you the first _twenty_ times," Alf let out in dismay. "Maybe we should just - backtrack and - "

"ALF!? TIGRESS!? THE HECK?!"

The shrill voice - characteristically boisterous and engaged, with distinctive largeness that both Alf and Tigress knew could only come from one source - came from the well. Or more precisely, it had been coming out of the well - a large, flabby panda with green robes emerged out of the well holding the robe, climbing out with great surprise.

Po.

"DUDE!" Alf let out in surprise, overjoyed. "WHAT'S UP!"

"NOTHING MUCH!" Po screamed back, still standing at the well a distance away. "WHAT'RE YOU GUYS DOING HERE!?"

"TRYING TO FIND YOU!?" Alf shouted back. "WHAT YA DOING OVER THERE?!"

"OH!" Po retaliated. "JUST PACKING SOME WATER - I WAS ABOUT TO HEAD BACK TO THE VALLEY!"

"WHAT - WHY?!" Alf questioned, still shouting pointlessly as the panda stood far away. "THEY KICK YOU OUT OR SOMETHING!?"

"HAHA!" Po laughed uproariously, stupidly still standing far away. "NAH! THE PAST FEW DAYS HAS BEEN SO _CRAZY!"_

Alf snorted. "LIKE - CRAY CRAY!?"

"LIKE - CRAY CRAY _CRAY CRAY!"_ Po roared back.

"WILL YOU TWO IDIOTS STOP SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER?!" Tigress bellowed out, annoyed. "PO! GET OVER HERE!"

Alf chuckled childishly. It was satisfying to note that perhaps - even after all the ordeals that had gone on - his relationship with the Dragon Warrior was just as playful and dumb as it had always been. Alf didn't even realize how much he missed the panda - Po had left _a while_ ago, which had unintentionally deprived Alf of one of his best friends and confidantes.

It had to have been well over a month since they saw each other in the flesh. Alf watched Po run closer, large belly jiggling and mouth ecstatic.

Alf grinned as Tigress rolled her eyes.

 _Some things never change._

Po quickly got to Alf first, picking him with a massive squeeze. "DUDEEE! IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS!"

Po let Alf down, then promptly got to Tigress to extend a hug as well, before a death stare from her brought the panda back down to reality.

"The village is up there," Po noted, pointing at the peak of the mountain - hidden behind a layer of fog. "You guys gotta come meet everyone!"

Alf grinned enthusiastically, almost thankful to know that there was at least _someone_ who was relatively normal.

"But… guys…" Po frowned, looking at both Alf and Tigress apologetically. "I - I got bad news."

Alf snorted. "Whatever it is - can't be as bad as what we gotta - "

"Not nowAdriana," Tigress cut him off, shoving a paw over Alf's mouth. "Po - what's wrong?"

The large panda sighed. "So - as it turns out - my dad might not - well - know chi."

Alf squinted in frustration, although Tigress merely sighed and shook her head.

"It was all just a ploy to get me to come here," Po emphasized, groaning. "I mean - I guess I never really believed it but… man, this sucks…"

Tigress cleared her throat. "Well - that news won't make what we have to say any better."

"What?" Po asked, curious. "Is that why Shifu sent you guys? Did Kai already reach the Valley?"

Tigress sighed, beginning to explain.

About everything.

About Kai.

About how he exploded.

On the figure they saw after.

The fear they had.

Omega.

His plan.

Wang.

And his idiot Yongshi.

What happened to the Valley.

The Soothsayer.

Earth.

The history of the Seekers.

And everything else.

Tigress left nothing out.

Alf watched Po's face go through the sequence of emotions that everyone else had been going through for the past few weeks - but instead of having time to recover and slowly adapt with each new "bad news" - the panda was condemned to cycle between peaks of shock, amazement, intense fear, and incredible disbelief. Half of the conversation was just Po pausing Tigress, asking whether what she was saying was really true. The panda also looked at Alf at certain times - the Seeker was forced to sadly nod, confirming everything Tigress was saying. Alf saw the worst parts of it - he saw the horror and dread in Po's eyes as Tigress mentioned how the Valley was destroyed, and then fear and disbelief as she explained Omega's plan - and the impossibility of their "escape" from this world.

There was one moment of pause. Tigress turned to Alf while Po was shocked, almost expecting approval to say something.

Alf nodded, knowing Po - of all people - deserved to know.

Tigress finally finished, telling what happened to Yu. Alf tried his best to not think about what she was saying.

And after perhaps five minutes of one-sided conversation - with just Tigress sadly recounting events, plans, and attitudes to a half-shocked, half-afraid Po - finally, the panda had been caught up on everything.

"Oh, Alf…" Po groaned, tears in his eyes, hugging Alf tightly. "...I'm so sorry man, I'm so sorry… I know how much she meant to you…"

Alf smiled, a tear trickling out himself - but he pushed Po off lightly. "I - I'd rather not think about it, if that's alright."

Po sadly nodded, agreeing. "Totally… totally…"

Tigress sighed, waiting for the panda to turn to her again. "Well - see the situation we're in?"

Po shuddered, whispering things to himself. "This - this can't be real…"

Tigress grabbed the panda's shoulders, shaking roughly. "It is. Now - as much as I hate Wang, I have to agree - we only have two choices now."

"Live," Alf started. "Or die."

Po nodded, gulping.

"Don't worry about the _chi_ thing too much now," Tigress sighed. "I doubt it'd help us anyway at this point. We have to get to Gongmen quickly."

"Yeah, Tigress thinks that's where the ship is," Alf remarked, nervous. "Remember when I was getting tortured by Shen?"

Po nodded. "Yeah - oh… you mean _that_ ship? The ship that wasn't there when we came to rescue you?"

Alf nodded, unsure of himself. He recalled the memory vividly - although he had seen a giat, metallic ship there - he wasn't sure if that was one of Omega's delusions or the actual ship. The only thing helping the argument was knowing that Zhong and Shen had seen it too - and Alf remembered the peacock trying to gain access to it, pressing Alf's palm against it several times - only to be rejected because - Alf's name wasn't the _right_ name?

"I know it's a long shot," Tigress stated. "But it's our only lead now. Po - we have to do this."

"What about the rest of the village?" Po motioned, pointing at the foggy mountain peak. "I can't just leave them all to die… and heck, explaining all this stuff to them… and talking to my dad!"

Po had completely forgotten about Li. Since speaking to his father frankly, he hadn't seen Li anywhere - Po worried that the panda had been avoiding him in regret or shame, perhaps over lying about his _chi_ skills.

"We've gotta get a bird to Wang telling them to head for Gongmen," Alf forced. "And looks like we've gotta take the village with us too."

Tigress nodded firmly. "That's our best option."

The three sprinted off in the mountain's direction, wondering just which of them would have the task of explaining all of the crazy nonsense that had been happening to everyone.

 **. . .**

Li collapsed inside the cave, coughing.

 **Get up.**

The panda did as instructed.

Li had no idea how long he had been walking. It had to have been at least a few days non-stop - and the voice inside his head - introduced himself as Omega - was adamant about somehow controlling the panda. Li felt no tiredness or will to turn back, nor could he yell - everything seemed to be forced to abide to Omega's will. After walking past sleet, snow, jungles, and desert - the panda had arrived at the outskirts of Gongmen as the voice had promised. There, it had directed him to ignore the surrounding area - choosing to jump straight down a deep, dark hole that was seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Li tumbled down the abyss, eventually rolling into a cave.

The cave didn't look like anything Li had seen. Firstly, it was huge and ginormous - the black, rocky walls were at least a thousand feet high, and the space was several thousand feet long and wide. Black stalactites and rocky spikes littered the curvature of the cave, which completely sucked out all light to make it seem like a deep, dark, moist cavern - but that wasn't even the most shocking thing.

As soon as Li had stood up - he saw it.

 **Walk to Epsilon-4.**

 **Now.**

Li's legs mindlessly followed.

The panda grew scared, looking at it.

The only _it._

Right at the center of the enormous, rocky, dark cave - was a metal ship.

Li gasped. The ship itself took up half of the cave, spiked metal roofing touching the edge of the cave ceiling. The panda couldn't help but fear the ship's strange exterior - a shiny black coat, albeit one that was firmly rusted and clearly the ship hadn't moved anywhere in a long time. The shape of the ship was also very odd, with awkward angles and tilted curvature that he had never seen - unlike anything he had _ever_ seen.

It didn't look from this world.

And finally - Li was close to it.

 **Ah, good news Zero - we're finally in singular teleportation distance.**

"Uh - what?" Li let out, confused.

 **Not talking to you.**

 **Your use is done, panda.**

"WAIT!" Li begged. "WAI - "

A massive explosion.

But nothing actually went flying.

Rather, a bizarre and thick cloud of green energy burst from the center of where the panda had been standing - and now nothing remained. Another green burst of energy later, and a different figure stood in the exact same place the panda had been standing just a few seconds before.

This figure was clearly Seeker - or human, and male. The man cut a towering figure, tall, massive frame helped by his thick musculature. His skin had no fur and was olive-skinned, with a yellow tinge that contrasted powerfully with the dark cave. His body was covered in a black, dense metal armor that bore a specialized insignia - which sat underneath a square, thickly-bearded head. As the man opened his eyes, ferocious black pupils and a jagged scar emitted the intimidating nature of the man - and when he spoke, a deep, guttural growl came out like thundering elegance.

"I _never_ get used to teleporting, Commander Omega," Zero proclaimed angrily. "Always leaves a itch in my sonar stabilizers…"

The voice came back, but it was coming from the side of Zero's head - and clearly consentingly, through a small earpiece fixated onto the armor.

 **Never mind that, Zero.**

 **Can you confirm that Epsilon-4 is there?**

Zero pressed a finger to a panel on his forearm. The metal retracted and emitted a bright light onto the surrounding portion of the metal ship.

"Yep, that's Epsilon-4," Zero argued. "Thermal scanners put it at thirteen stellar cycles of disuse."

 **Hmm.**

 **Is there an Alliance number on it?**

Zero repeated the light trick with his forearm panel. "Nope."

 **It's likely inoperable then.**

"I guess," Zero noted, smiling. "Hold on - lemme try something…"

The man walked to the ship's large twin doors, pressing his palm to the edges of the metal. Within a few seconds, a robotic voice rang out.

 _ACCESS DENIED._

 _STATE DESIGNATION._

"Scout Zero," the man proclaimed confidently. "Planet Fifty-Seven, Galaxy Five."

A pause.

Then the metal voice rang out again.

 _ACCESS DENIED._

 _STATE DESIGNATION._

"Hmm," Zero speculated. "That's weird. I thought all Alliance Protectors had all-access clearance?"

 **You do.**

 **This ship seems to be something else.**

 **It seems our friend's "escape vessel" was never listed in the Alliance repositories.**

"Ah," Zero noted. "Looks like his parents probably rebelled a bit, huh?"

 **Likely.**

 **As I speak to you - we still have no information on the boy's past.**

 **But I do know that unless we sabotage this escape vessel…**

 **...there will always be a chance of unsuccessful colonization.**

"How big of a chance?" Zero asked.

 **Right now - we can ensure colonization with 98.2% chance of success.**

"Oh come on," Zero complained. "You really think that 1.8% is gonna bite us in the ass?"

 **Protocol is protocol, Scout Zero.**

 **Nothing less than 100%.**

 **We must break into the ship.**

Sighing, Zero began to scour the outer surface of the gigantic metal ship, passing a variety of sensors and lasers - flashing lights and beacons - over the exterior surface.

"Yanno, I think you're giving these lifeforms too much credit," Zero emphasized. "They're barely a Level 2 civilization. They won't be able to escape this."

 **True.**

 **But remember - one of our own is among their ranks.**

 **Even if he is - significantly behind on human knowledge.**

 **Human adaptability should never be underestimated.**

"True," Zero reluctantly agreed, sighing before putting away all his sensors and devices. "Well boss - looks like the ship's got no Alliance number, no manual override, the armor's too thick for penetration…"

 **A dead end, so to speak.**

 **Unfortunate.**

"Like I said," Zero noted. "I can comfortably keep whatever _resistance_ they have planned under control until the rest of you guys come in - like I said, they're only Level 2s."

Zero chuckled. "Oh - when _are_ you guys gonna be within mass teleportation range, by the way?"

 **A few days away.**

 **This planet really** _ **is**_ **in intergalactic backwaters.**

 **I tried to message Alliance Central Command.**

 **Saying we don't need this shithole.**

"Yeah, I guess they didn't take too kindly to that…" Zero remarked, grinning. "So - what do I do until the primitives get here?"

 **Find a way into the ship, somehow.**

 **And when they do arrive - eliminate all active resistances.**

 **But leave some alive - to be reformatted as duty workers for the Alliance.**

 **The usual routine.**

 **But - leave the human Alf alive.**

 **I'd like to punish the traitor in person - when we get here.**

"You got it boss," Zero simply responded.

 **. . .**

It took a long time for Wang to wake up.

It took even longer for him to acclimate to his surroundings.

The enormous lion opened his eyes. A burst of light was hitting him - but it wasn't the red beams that he had been so scared of. In fact, there was yellow, normal sunlight just beginning to flutter into Wang's vision - which took a while for the lion to get used to. After Wang blinked past the bright sunlight, he made several key notes: that the forestry around him was still there, albeit several trees looked burned - and he was still resting on the rocky surface of the Wu Dan mountainside, which meant that he was both still alive and still in roughly the same place. There was however, a vague stench that permeated the air - one that Wang quickly became horrified by.

As the lion scanned his eyes around, he saw bodies - hundreds of bodies - of refugees strewn around him. They were mutilated in such a manner that Wang didn't dare look - heads and torsos were missing, limbs had been completely removed, and blood pools followed each body like bizarre, perverse art. The sheer quantity of the bodies was incredible - at least half of the former refugee crowd were nothing more than corpses now, although Wang was enormously grateful to see the survivors still somewhat mobile, albeit crying over their lost loved ones. The lion himself felt a vague, terrible pain run through his abdomen and shoulder - definitely burnt and missing flesh - but he still felt mobile, although injured.

And the greatest relief of all - if it could even be called that, considering how much carnage that had just occurred - was a cylindrical metal ball, propped up on four spiked legs - lay a distance away, collapsed and leaning against the tall mountainside with no movement. Wang's sword was still embedded in its red eye.

"Wang!" a voice came.

The lion turned down, seeing a depressed green snake with a bow slither towards him.

"We lost half of the group," Viper let out with a shudder. "Half of the refugees - all dead… oh my…"

"They'd have _all_ died if we didn't do what we did," Wang forced, determinedly optimistic. "We need to keep moving."

Wang needed to stay determined. The death machine had taken out half of the group almost instantly - staying here for the scout was pure suicide. Moreover, they needed to still find the escape vessel's location...

Viper gesticulated to several figures sitting next to the machine. Wang noted that both Monkey and Shifu were laying on the ground, completely still - Mantis attended to both. They weren't quite corpses - as Wang saw their chests heave and sigh - yet they weren't conscious either. The lion grimly observed the pools of blood collecting below their bodies.

"We can't get Shifu or Monkey to wake up," Viper sighed, voice shaking. "They - Mantis says they - they're still alive but - but maybe in a coma…"

Wang remembered the machine's violent treatment of Shifu, and remembered one of its spiked legs drive straight through Monkey's ribs mercilessly. Wang found it to be miraculous that the master was even alive.

"Listen to me, Viper," Wang observed, ignoring the cries and sobbing of the refugees behind him. "We need to keep moving. Even if we have to carry both - "

"We - we got this message a few minutes after the machine was destroyed…" the snake emphasized, handing a scroll over. "It's - it's important…"

The lion grabbed the scroll, unfurling it to read the contents.

 _Figured out the ship's location._

 _Outskirts of Gongmen._

 _Alf knows where it is._

 _Hurry. Please._

 _-Tigress_

Wang read the message multiple times over.

He was reluctant at first. It didn't make any sense - why would Tigress - of all people - know where the ship was?

But she had referenced Alf's name.

It had to be real.

Either way, they didn't have a choice.

"Tell the survivors to stop crying and march close together," Wang forced to Viper. "We're moving. Send birds out to Crane and Zeng and tell them to turn back and head for Gongmen."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Uh.. so I might have compressed the story timeline… so basically, there's just four chapters left in KFP 3._

 _So… we're close to the end! WOOOOOOOOT._

 _As it turns out, I liked to inject a little humor into the eventual meeting between Alf/Tigress and Po - just to show that even in a world of pure stress, at least there's some levity for the entire situation. That quickly goes away however, when Po realizes how serious the situation is._

 _Second, Li was indeed destroyed - or at least, what remains of him was. He'll still make a cameo in before KFP 3 ends - but it'll be kinda solo with Po, a sort of farewell to his complex but mixed relationship with his biological father. It'll feel satisfying though, so don't worry! Also, the Scout is here..._

 _Finally, I just wanted to show the level of destruction that the death bot did to the refugees - most of Wang's Yongshi are dead, half of the Five are injured and comatose, half the refugees are dead, and everyone's scared - but Wang knows that there's only one way they're all getting out of this alive. Remember, Crane and Zeng are still busy delivering the messages to as many kingdoms as possible…_

 _Everyone'll be reunited next chapter._

 _Just four chapters to go for KFP 3. On a writing high._

 _Damn._

 _Support is amazing._

 _~TW_


	48. KFP 3:13

" **The Scout"**

* * *

Gongmen was different now.

It had been made different. After Alf, Tigress and Po had reached the city - and had taken a slight pleasure to noting the amount of technological innovation that had proceeded after Shen's defeat - they had to notify everyone inside the massive, rebuilt walls on what was transpiring. There were only two reasons that it all worked - foremost, most of the city's inhabitants were clearly appreciative of Alf and the Jade Palace, considering that they had liberated the city from the control of a genocidal peacock overlord just two years prior. The second reason was that after Shen, the city had spent a great deal of money reinforcing the local guard brigades and overlapping them with cannons - the city itself was well organized to external threats and had a complex messenger and evacuation plan fitted for all the inhabitants. Gongmen was also vastly more organized and powerful than before, with the city's infrastructure being perfectly overhauled for extreme situations like this. Alf in particular was at least somewhat pleased with how quickly the city had responded - some citizens even took the time to thank Alf as they bunched around the city, perhaps a thousand Gongmen citizens all circled around Tigress, Alf, and Po as they began retelling the incredible story of what was to come.

Wang and his refugees arrived later. Tigress was horrified to learn that Shifu had been viciously injured, albeit he was walking now - while Alf and Po wondered whether Monkey would ever make a full recovery, just barely able to move around independently. Viper was relatively uninjured, and everyone of course was happy to see the return of Crane and Zeng - both however absolutely shocked at the situation currently. Nearly everyone mourned the loss of so many refugees with the death machine attacks, yet no one was even remotely brave enough to describe the terror that had been inflicted on them.

The greater problem was that everything was initially in disarray. Under the harsh moonlight just gently gracing the grassy ground outside of the stony, dim walls of Gongmen, an observer would be shocked to see approximately ten thousand citizens all standing around a small group in fear. The citizens comprised all walks of life - tall, short, young, old, from Europa, from Asia - there were citizens and animals from villages, massive cities like Gongmen, nobles and non-nobles, kung fu masters, Yongshi soldiers interspersed inside the crowd, and incredible amounts of children and terrified young people. Many of them were fleeing the kingdoms and provinces that had been aptly warned by Crane or Zeng - others were simply notified in time to join Wang and the survivors from the death machine attack - on the way to Gongmen. For the thousands of refugees here, the first part of their time here had been spent just talking about the miracle of seeing a Seeker, or Alf in real life - this contrasted strongly with the story they had been hastily told of - about an "invasion of Seekers" about to destroy their world. There were as many precautions as possible - at least a solid tenth of the thousands of citizens were guards and/or Yongshi soldiers - each armed with miniaturized _Revolvers_ and small bands of warriors equipped with personal cannons. There was - theoretically - enough firepower in the crowd to instantly kill any threat… but the Seekers were something else. Wang had instructed the warriors and guards to circle around the thousands of refugees in a protective stance - everyone watching for the infamous "scout" that Wang kept warning about. Regardless, there was too much fear in the air to do anything except listen to the small group everyone was circled around - chiefly, the Furious Five, Shifu, Wang, Alf, and the Dragon Warrior - Po. Only one person in the crowd had been brave enough to stand closer to the group - namely, Zhong.

"What kinda crazy shit are we in, huh?" the wolf noted sadly, seeing the thousands of refugees around him - all scared and stressed - while the small group ahead of him with the Five, Po, Shifu and Wang - appeared even more stressed.

"I dunno man…" Alf sighed, smiling for a second. "Heh. Guess you're wishing I'd have never told you about coming back to the Valley now, huh?"

Zhong smiled depressingly. "If that were the case - I'd be dead by the time the Seekers got to Mongolia. I don't have any regrets, man."

Alf narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

The former wolf boss nodded. "It's kinda hard to debate on all the evil shit I did - when something way worse is coming - puts it all in perspective."

"Glad to see there's _someone_ benefiting outta this," Alf returned with a morose frown. "Hey - where's the Soothsayer? And uh - that reporter chick? Soo Lin, I think?"

Alf had scanned the enormous crowd for both the old goat and the female jackal. He hadn't seen anyone that resembled their physical makeup.

"Gone," Zhong emphasized, shutting his eyes. "That - that machine - that thing - hell, it didn't just cut those two in half, Alf - it cut pretty much half of our group down - even before we got here."

Alf sighed, not even imagining the suffering that they had gone through. Most importantly, the loss of the Soothsayer meant that there was no chance at benefiting from her wisdom - wisdom that could have been easily acquired and formulated into a plan to somehow delay the Seeker invasion long enough to get onto the ship - if it even existed - safely.

"There'll be more coming too," Zhong noted. "Crane says a lot of the kingdoms that he notified are still a few days away from getting here."

"And what's Wang's plan?" Alf queried. "Just leave them all to die if it gets too late?"

"You got a better idea?" Zhong countered.

Alf sighed.

"Alf," Wang called out, walking to the boy while closely followed by the Five, Po, and Shifu. "Tigress said you know where the ship is."

Alf looked at Tigress in exhaustion. "I - I might, okay? It might be there…"

"That's all we have, boy," Shifu concluded weakly, wheezing while leaning on his cane. " _Mights_."

Alf gulped. "Well - see that tunnel over there?"

The Five, Shifu, Wang, and Po all looked in the direction Alf was pointing. Even Zhong appeared curious - and in the distance, everyone saw that small speck of darkness just jutting out from the grassy landscape - which seemed like large hole.

"Inside it should be the ship," Alf concluded hesitantly. "But again - I - I dunno if it'll still be there, or if the ship's even real…"

"It _is_ real," Zhong noted confidently. "I remember it."

The Wolf Boss thought back to the times Shen had shown him around that secretive cave.

How things had changed in just two years.

"We need to get everyone inside the cave," Tigress emphasized. "Even if the ship isn't there that's our best bet to hide from the - "

"Tigress," Viper interrupted. "L - _Look._ "

Tigress did so.

Then Wang did so.

Then the rest of the Five.

Then Alf.

Then Po.

Then Zhong.

Actually by now - the whole crowd was looking.

All the thousands of refugees. All the Yongshi soldiers. All the guards.

And especially Alf.

Collective gasps.

There was a man approaching.

Not a figure.

Nor a shadow.

Nor a light.

Or even a glowing sign.

A man.

A fully fleshed out - physical - Seeker.

As real as they were.

Wang held up his paw in fear, signaling all the warriors to protectively come to the front ranks of the thousands of refugees, equipping their Revolvers and cannons in apprehension. The Five merely kept quiet, while Po stared dumbfounded at the new arrival. Shifu was clutching his wound in shock, while Alf merely stared straight ahead in amazement.

The man was taller than Wang, and far more muscular. Like Omega, he had a shiny, dark, metallic armor pasted over his body - arranged in symmetric plating unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Parts of his armor glowed with light, while parts were dark. For the most part, the thousands of refugees simply stared back at the olive-skinned man - everyone feeling bizarre to see another Seeker besides Alf for the first time - and he looked so much stronger, more ferocious, more advanced - almost infinitely superior in every way.

"I see you lifeforms have managed to organize yourselves into a group - how quaint…" Zero noted, smiling. "I am Zero. Who is your leader?"

The crowd almost instinctively turned to Wang - even the Five, Po and Shifu turned to the enormous lion. Alf kept his stare at the new Seeker, completely aware that he was the "scout" - yet unsure why he hadn't begun attacking them yet.

"What do you want, fleshling?" Wang braved, voice quivering.

Zero merely smiled. "I am here to tell you to submit - before it's too late."

The crowd kept silent, muttering anxiously to themselves. It was several pieces of information that were making this uneasy - not just the fact that he was an enormous Seeker, but also the cold rationality with which Zero was speaking to them - almost assuring them that if they did try to do _anything_ \- they would be instantly defeated.

No one had any idea what the Seeker's capabilities were.

"Just let us leave in peace, alright?" Wang begged, voice shaking. "Take - take this world. We - we just want to be free…"

Zero walked closer to Wang, terrifying everyone.

"I am doing this for your own species' good," Zero confidently assured. "It was a small miracle that you primitives even managed to disable the probe…"

Alf understood this to be the death machine.

"... but I am not a probe, and quite frankly speaking…" Zero continued. "... this illusion will end now. None of your people - warrior, guard, or otherwise - is on the same technological level as even _one_ of my compatriots."

Wang shuddered. "We - we don't want to fight… we just want to go away…"

"That's not the way this works," Zero forced, towering over the lion. "We colonize. You become subservient to us. That's the way it's been. That's the way it's _always_ been."

Wang turned back, seeing the flood of nervous faces.

"Give up now," Zero threatened dangerously. "I won't ask again."

The lion took a second.

He looked at Zero - seeing those smug, confident features hidden by a powerful armor that he didn't understand. He didn't even know what weapons he had.

He saw the ragged, dusty, and starving refugees behind him - many of them having gone without food or sleep for hours or even days, eyes bloodshot from fear and legs withered from all the walking they had done. Wang saw his Yongshi warriors and nervous guards - all pointing their comparatively simple weapons at Zero, who smiled cruelly back. For many of them, everything about Zero was confirming what had been told about the Seekers for centuries - impossibly powerful, menacing creatures who wore metal and breathed fire and light.

Then Wang turned to the Five and Po - all of them carrying significant injuries, then to Shifu - who was hobbling - and finally to Alf, who stared fiercely back at the taller Seeker with pure disdain.

He had to do something.

"Omega has _special_ plans for you, traitor," Zero addressed to Alf, then turned back to Wang. "Pathetic how you've let lifeforms - more _primitive_ than humankind - _enslave_ you with this… collar."

Alf adjusted his collar in irritation.

"Although it _did_ help lead us to this world," Zero went on. "So perhaps - you should thank _yourself_ for bringing about this world's destruction."

Alf felt like spitting in the Seeker's face.

Zero turned back to Wang. "So - what will it be, lower lifeform? Submit right now - and allow my army to _peacefully_ colonize your world and people - or risk doing something much, _much_ more stupid?"

Wang knew that their time was up.

It was finally up.

The Seekers were perhaps just a day away.

They would land soon.

They had to take the chance.

If they wanted to live.

"FIRE!" Wang roared.

 _BOOM._

 _CRACK._

 _BLAST._

 _THUNK._

 _CRACK._

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

The onslaught of noises terrified everyone. Just a moment after Wang had issued the order, all the warriors simultaneously fired their weapons - revolvers, cannons, bows and arrows - at least a thousand guards and Yongshi soldiers fired right at Zero. The atmosphere was lost in hazy blasts of smoke and powder - ashes and projectile metal. The firing continued for some time, as Wang kept his paw up as Zero disappeared behind a cloud of dust and exploding metal. The ten thousand refugees - sitting fearfully behind the front line of warriors - whispered prayers to themselves, never seeing such a concentrated and vicious attack in their entire lives.

"Halt!" Wang called out.

Alf, the Five, Po, Shifu, and Zhong all watched the cannons and revolvers cease firing. The flying metal balls and bursts of fire and dust slowly faded into a standstill, while the surrounding air just began to clear from its black, filthy aura. Wang watched the dust cloud in front of him begin to part and fade.

The lion gasped.

And Zero was still there.

"Amusing," Zero proclaimed, grinning. "My turn."

Wang saw the man's visor retract onto his face, covering it. Parts of his armor started to glow.

"RUN TO THE TUNNEL!" Alf roared, instinct kicking in.

 _BANG._

 _BOOM._

 _WHOOSH._

 _BANG._

 _BANG._

 _BANG._

Absolute anarchy.

Chaos.

Disorder.

Alf didn't dare look back. He ran straight down the small, grassy pathway leading to the dark tunnel drilled into the ground perhaps a few hundred paces away. He heard several disjointed noises behind - explosions, mysterious noises that sounded like lightning, and flashing lights in all colors. Alf was terrified to hear the screams and wails of refugees behind him, as thousands of horrified cries sprang out into the moonlit darkness - before violent noises consumed them in a hail of flashing light beams, explosions, and fire. Alf didn't know exactly what Zero was doing to them, nor did he care - survival was the priority now - the _only_ priority. Almost immediately, the stench of burnt flesh and freshly spilled blood entered Alf's nostrils - yet he still didn't turn back, worried that the carnage that he would see would paralyze him in fear. To his small relief, a few important figures were running aside him - Po, Zhong, Tigress, and Wang - but the rest of the Five and Shifu were not there.

"Keep running!" Tigress yelled.

Alf worriedly turned back, ignoring his instincts.

He shuddered.

There wasn't much of a crowd fleeing behind him, following Alf's lead. There were barely a few hundred survivors - a number that was being drastically cut down as Alf observed. Behind the fleeing citizens, a sea of corpses - in all kinds of mangled and altered states - littering the grassland behind them. Zero was tearing through the ranks with a clinical precision - the man fired gigantic bursts of light beams from panels in his armor, while he brought out some more devices in his hands that - when fired - shot brilliant balls of energy forward, ripping through any unlucky targets standing there. Alf noted that most of the warriors and the Yongshi had abandoned their cannons and Revolvers on the ground, sprinting away from the destructive Seeker with incredible willpower. Zero took no issue to this, as he casually ignored the begging and pleading citizens - still running away - as he practically _evaporated_ them into red, thick dust with his arsenal of energy weapons and glowing armor panels.

"ALF! WATCH OUT!"

Alf felt his foot hit solid stone, then he tumbled through a pit of darkness.

He fell for a while, but then his mind kicked in.

He had reached the tunnel.

Or rather - a cave had reached him.

Alf fell down the tunnel unknowingly, feeling his injured body smack carelessly against the edges of the cave as he tumbled down. He took just seconds to understand his surroundings.

It felt familiar. The rocky edges of the enormous cave were there, spiked formations of stone still present at every wall of the gigantic cave. Some puddles of water strewn about, a vaguely smoky smell - and to Alf's enormous relief - the ship.

Just as he remembered.

The humongous frame.

The spiked, metallic exterior.

The odd, almost jagged shape.

The double doors.

It was now or never.

Alf ran forward, again ignoring the screams and horrified cries in anguish as some survivors started to trickle down the cave opening. Alf still heard the ferocious explosions and bursts of light outside - which meant that the survivors still had a bit of time.

Alf needed to think fast.

He ran to the twin doors, banging his fists ferociously - almost in anger.

"OPEN THE HELL UP!" Alf roared, practically feeling Zero's heavy footsteps enter the far corner of the cave.

"COME ON!" Alf begged, slamming his bloody fists into the metallic doors. "JUST ONCE! SOMETHING! ANYTHING!"

 _SPLINK._

 _CRACK._

 _THUD._

 _WHOOSH._

Alf was roughly shoved to the side, seeing a piece of metal suddenly come flying from the ship's doors and knock him down, roaring past him. He quickly turned his eyes to the source of the incoming footsteps - horrified to see the faint number of refugees scrambling in the cave now, just a fraction of the thousands that had arrived at Gongmen - but also shocked at Zero, who had been launched right back from the cave entrance by the flying metal and yanked back - zooming out of the cave and into the dark sky above. And just then, Alf let himself drift into unconsciousness once more.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Ahah - ye old cliffhanger ending…_

 _More to come._

 _I really wanted to bring the size and scale of the refugee thing to life - there were literally thousands of refugees, from all over China even possibly Europa - all pooling in this huge grassland outside of Gongmen. Suddenly the tone's shifted - it's not some Valley thing, or some kung fu thing - it's for the world! And of course - our friend Zero proves to be just as ferocious as anticipated - although we can safely assume that whatever Alf did in the end -_ _ **something**_ _worked. Altho the aftermath of that can be revealed next chapter..._

 _Hope everyone's delighted to see more Zhong again, and maybe even shed a tear at Soo Lin. (sad face)_

 _Oh - and there's just 3 chapters left in KFP 3._

 _Yes - just three._

 _It's gonna be a ride._

 _Support is amazing._

 _~TW_


	49. KFP 3:14

" **Before The End"**

* * *

"AGH WHAT THE - DEACTIVATE YOU - "

 _ZOOM._

 _BLAST._

 _BOOM._

Zero roared in agony, feeling whipping night air just rush past his exposed face and run past his metal armor. He observed that the metal device attached to his wrist - and hoisting him up into the atmosphere, high enough so that he could barely make out the primitive city he had just been forcibly removed from - was not letting up. In fact, nothing Zero did could help as the machine attached to his wrist kept soaring higher into the sky - dragging the Seeker along with him. Chinese landscape, grassy areas, and Gongmen - all were rapidly disappearing behind cloud cover.

A familiar voice buzzed into Zero's earpiece.

 **What the hell's happening, Scout Zero?**

"The kid somehow activated a auto-defense drone, Commander Omega," Zero casually remarked, flying higher pointlessly. "Damn thing's going to make me leave orbit soon…"

 **So the ship** _ **is**_ **coded to the boy's genetic data.**

 **How else could he activate it?**

"Who cares?" Zero let out in frustration, noting that the cloud cover was gone and he was now beginning to see cold, dark space begin to expand in front of him - the drone fastened to his wrist kept blasting him up higher in a whizz of gently thinning air.

 **What happened to your suit's defense-negation module?**

"Ergh - I tried that! Some idiot disabled it…" Zero scowled, finally feeling his body and armor start to merge into the oasis of dark space ahead of him, seeing a gentle stream of atmosphere below. "Hold on, lemme activate my hyperspace regulator - damn drone's dragging me into space…"

With a snap of his fingers, Zero's visor retracted onto, and sealed his face - a rush of cool air flowed in from the suit's oxygen reserves.

"It's gotta be _Henderson_ ," Zero forced, still being dragged uselessly into empty, dark space. "He always complains about how _colonization_ is bad and all that crap…"

 **Andrew Henderson is one of my top lieutenants.**

 **I won't let you accuse a trusted Alliance Protector of sabotage.**

"Fine, I'll get to the bottom of it myself," Zero concluded angrily. "How far are you guys away? Let's end this nonsense."

 **One day.**

Zero sighed, feeling the drone make him drift into increasingly deep reaches of cosmic space - perhaps taking a quick moment to marvel at the blue, crystalline green planet about to be colonized. In a way, it reminded him of pre-Alliance Earth, so perhaps that alluring charm had persuaded the notoriously sympathetic Henderson to take action this time around.

 **. . .**

For the thousandth time in his life, Alf had to be awoken from an unconscious state - and then rapidly filled in on many, many things.

For starters, Zero was no longer present in the cave - nor was he present outside it. After the surviving refugees - civilians, guards, and Yongshi alike - had spent about a few minutes huddling near the massive metal ship, a lone straggler had been brave enough to break away from the group and go out of the cave and explore a bit, shocked to see the lack of the large Seeker. In fact - Zero was nowhere to be found.

There were murmurs and whispers immediately after. Most dealt with the fact that the metallic "thing" - whatever it was - had caught onto Zero's armor and promptly blasted him out of the cave.

And the large Seeker was not returning.

The next problem had started to dawn on Alf - and it dawned on him slowly throughout the upcoming days.

Over the next two days, the refugee group had grown exponentially. The group of survivors - previously just fifty or so stragglers, along with the Five, Shifu, Po, Zhong, and Wang - had been enormously augmented by the influx of refugees from the rest of "Europa and Asia… and the influx wasn't stopping. Terrified citizens were pouring into Gongmen's outskirts and the cave from literally every corner of civilization imaginable - from places that no one had heard of, from mountainsides, from villages, from deserts, from cold glaciers, and everything above, below, and in between. Even new types of animals were coming - mysteriously thick, white furred creatures that looked like bears living in icy terrain, tiny turtles from islands near Europa, and flying birds which seemed completely out of this world. Clearly, Wang's Yongshi network had truly stretched over the entire world - and the incoming refugees had reflected this. Of the incredible crowd of new arrivals, they went through the same phases of confusion that almost everyone in China had at some point - shocked and overwhelmed at the threat of a Seeker invasion, being perplexed to see Alf helping them (or just see a Seeker for the first time) - and admittedly, horrified at the torn and bloodied corpses littering the inside of the cave and the exterior, grassy plains of Gongmen's outskirts. Due to the severity and stress of the situation, none of the corpses had been moved, which made for a grim sight for arriving refugees - forced to simply step over disfigured bodies of children, women, men, citizens, nobles, former kung fu masters, Yongshi warriors, guards - all familiar and unfamiliar faces and bodies washed asea in blood. Another factor complicating the new group was it's ever-increasing size - Alf had tried to count the amount of arrivals, but this was near impossible - they completely filled up the enormous cave, packed so densely that there was no space between any two refugees - and even lined the cave's exterior walls and the grassy plains surrounding the outside of the tunnel, in Gongmen's outskirts.

The number was staggering. It took the combined efforts of Alf - and aerial flyover approximations by Crane - to gauge the true number of refugees now.

Two million.

And growing.

The final - and truly biggest problem was opening the ship.

In a way, the fact that it was taking so long was good - it allowed as much citizens to pack themselves and reach Gongmen, some from extremely far origins - and get a chance at somehow compressing themselves into the still comparatively ginormous ship. Alf speculated - just from the depth and breadth of the ship's dimensions - that it could comfortably hold the two million refugees, and perhaps much more.

But the ship would not open.

They had spent so much time over the last two days - Wang and Team Jade all had not slept - just trying to crack open the metallic doors.

Alf tried pressing his hand to the panel.

Saying Alf.

Alfie.

Alfalfa.

Alfalfa Ping.

Nothing worked.

The eternal message would play.

 _Access denied. State designation._

It was getting frightening now. Wang was certain that the Seeker army was close - even if the scout had somehow magically been taken care of - perhaps just a day away. By his estimations, they would be entering their world soon - as early as perhaps tomorrow.

And for that - no one had any plan except to run.

No one knew their numbers.

No one knew how powerful Omega and his army were.

No one even bothered to wonder.

They had to get into the ship.

Figure out how to use it.

And - somehow survive.

To the Five's credit, they had taken some proactive steps to making sure if they somehow managed to open the ship - a journey within it would be tolerable. Food supplies and stocked bags of crops - even though they had no idea how long everything would last, or how to partition it for such an overpopulated crowd - were made and shoved into a gigantic pile sitting behind the ship, sitting underneath fierce protection from surviving Yongshi and Gongmen guards - already a few hungry refugees had tried to squirrel away private rations for themselves.

Alf was doing the worst. He somehow felt a responsibility for the chaos around him - two million refugees, all sitting on the cave floor and forming huddled groups outside on the grassy Gongmen plains - completely unsure whether they were going to live, or die. Crying, sobbing, and prayers were heard from every corner - even occasionally from Shifu, or Po. The Five and Wang did the best they could to calm down as much people as possible - feeling hope decrease with every passing moment - every second Alf began to realize that perhaps - this whole thing was destined to fail.

They never had a chance of surviving the death machine.

They never had a chance of surviving the scout.

They never had a chance of opening the ship.

And they never had a chance of surviving the invasion.

They had somehow bumbled their way through this - a random combination of luck, sacrifice - but mostly idiotic luck.

And it felt weird for Alf.

He had dreamed about what was going to happen.

Seen visions.

Heard stories.

Had certainly remembered Omega.

Now it was all happening.

Five years of building up - to what?

Certain doom?

 _Crunch._

Alf sighed, realizing he had just stepped on something fragile. He bent down, seeing a small, metallic amulet lay near the cave floor - sitting behind the ship near the foodstocks. He peered around the corner of the ship - seeing Wang, Po, and Shifu disperse the thick crowd of sitting refugees, muttering false assurances and heavy apologies for the situation… the Five weren't seen, but Alf had guessed that they were outside of the cave in the grassy areas, trying to calm down the refugees there as well.

Alf bent down, picking up the amulet.

A small inscription was burned into it.

In a ring shape.

Alf had no idea what that meant.

He looked closer at the insignia.

It was rotating.

It started to shift his collar.

Alf gasped, seeing a beam of light connect from his collar to the amulet.

A few odd noises - almost like crackling fire and embers.

The amulet had a new insignia now - or rather - lettering.

Alf squinted his eyes. Initially the lettering was in some strange calligraphic style - some font he didn't understand - but it slowly shifted and started glowing.

The text became clear now.

Readable.

 **Designation: Alpha**

 **Host planet: ZZ-1 (Earth)**

 **Message: 1 unread**

Alf kept staring at the letters, confused.

Who was it referring to?

What was with the message?

Alf touched a finger to the marks.

More flashing.

A new black font emerged.

 **Play message?**

 **-Affirmative**

 **-Negative**

Alf - for some reason unknown to him - chose the first option almost instantly.

A voice started playing. It was distinctly Seeker, but also quite old and female - it wasn't Omega's, or anything Alf had heard before…

...but it did provoke something in him.

Longing memory.

Something deep.

He didn't understand it.

 **Hey Alph,**

 **Your fifth birthday's tomorrow - and instead of doing the usual thing your Dad and I do (just serve up some glucose crystals) - I figured why not go old-school, an old-Earth tradition and record a kinda -** _ **message**_ **for you when you're older?**

Alf gulped, letting the message play. He was having a creeping sensation on who the voice was referring to, but he didn't want to think about that.

He was crying already, closing his eyes.

 **So Alph - you're just five now. Heh. That may not be that impressive to you when you hear this but - believe it or not, you used to fit right in my arms.**

 **Can't say the same when you're hearing this message - I dunno even know how big you are now!**

 **But anyway - it was today that we finally found a planet to live on.**

 **Yeah - a real host planet - one that the Alliance hasn't colonized yet, and one where there isn't much life - at least, not much life that knows how shitty human beings can be - yet.**

 **We're landing there tomorrow. It'll be a double surprise - your birthday, and the day we found a new, sweet place!**

Alf cried again, tones in the voice making him shudder.

He wanted so desperately - so desperately it was hurting him - to just say something back, _anything_ \- and hope that the voice could hear him.

 **Your Dad's triangulating the coordinates as we speak.**

 **It's kinda - well - remote, but that's good!**

 **More space between us and those jerkbags Alliance Protectors - I'm sure they're trying to track us down.**

 **Heh - too bad your Dad's too smart for that.**

Alf sobbed again.

 _Dad._

Dad?

A real one.

It was so foreign.

So weird to imagine.

Yet he was so desperate.

 **Anyway, I just wanted to just record something for you to hear when you get way older.**

 **Like - much older.**

 **I'll be at your side when you read this - and your Dad and I can reminisce on that crazy time we found our new home.**

 **Love you always.**

 **Mom.**

Alf broke down completely, almost letting the amulet fall from his grasp. He took just a second to sob a bit more, eyes shaking in tears.

Then he composed himself.

He had to.

There was no time.

He had a job to do.

Alf walked briskly over to the other end of the enormous ship, ignoring the refugees' confused stares and whispers as a few tears escaped his eyes regardless. Even the Five, Wang, and Shifu were confused - Po attempted to grab Alf's shoulder, alarmed - but the young man merely shrugged it off. Zhong merely gave a sad look at Alf.

He walked straight to the doors of the metal ship, still half-sobbing.

Alf pressed his hand to the panel.

The familiar voice came up.

 _Access denied._

 _State designation._

"Alpha," Alf replied gently, shutting his eyes with tears.

And slowly, the doors began to screech and metal began to open.

 **. . .**

The refugees were increasing.

Within mere seconds of the doors creaking and retracting into the ship's metallic paneling, the hordes of refugees had roughly shoved themselves inside - pushing, screaming tears of joy, and running over themselves and even family members to be afforded the chance to be safe. The process was messy but it worked - it took nearly five hours in total, as the Five, Wang, Po, Shifu, and Alf helped organize and streamline the hordes of refugees into the enormous metal ship. The previous number of two million was growing with new arrivals, still beginning to come from foreign, far off places - Alf had gauged the new estimate at perhaps five million refugees, a number still well within the ship's housing capabilities, although it took longer to fit everyone in. Team Jade and Wang carefully broke up the groups entering into rough streams of entry through the twin doors, and ordered them to go in as quickly as possible. In this fashion, Wang and Team Jade saw just how far the message had spread - there were new animals who were rumored to be the kings and queens of civilizations in Northern Europa, and tiny, miniscule creatures crawling in from the wetlands of Central Asia, past Mongolia, and much in between. The crowd had morphed yet again - from a mass of scared citizens, terrified at the bodies around them - to a unified band of five million refugees, hurriedly scurrying into the ship and gathering their loved ones around them. In times of great fear, there was no discrmination or segregation - nobles mixed with peasants, guards mixed with civilians - even some of the Yongshi could be heard uttering prayers underneath their black masks. Most importantly, the five million refugees were all unified in their need for survival, the need to breathe another day - so no one wasted any time being shocked at Alf, their situation, or the amount of blood or bodies around them - all that mattered was survival.

And the ship was incredible.

Alf, alongside Po - had taken some peeks into the ship before returning onto the outside to resume organizing the incoming refugees. To the pair's surprise, the ship itself wasn't as complicated as they might have imagined or fantasized about - it was truly one, enormous metallic room with perhaps just a few sub-rooms that were worth looking into - otherwise, everything was just one ginormous hall. It stretched literally into the upper ceilings of the ship, which towered so high that everyone had to bend up to look at them. Spiraling pathways littered the exterior edges of the metal ship, covered in a shiny, silver substance that no one understood. The pathways housed equal portions of the refugees who were occupying the ground floor - and even after the five million refugees had completely taken up the ground area, the spiraling staircases, and all of the ship's standing space - there was still room for more, on the highest reaches of the staircase rotating upwards. Wang had dedicated some Yongshi into the interior of the ship, seeking to calm down and control the refugees - although fifty soldiers was far inadequate to manage five million scared, hungry, and tired refugees. Tigress had taken the privilege of hiding the foodstores in one of the subrooms of the ship - in mysteriously secret panels that no one except Wang, the Five, Shifu, Po, or Alf was allowed into - a decision which upset some of the nobles, but they were silenced once everyone realized that both Team Jade and Wang were their only hope for survival - obedience was necessary.

The subrooms themselves were far more complicated than the main hall. In it, complex machinery and panels - some nearly the size of the ship itself - were present and glowed with light and unfamiliar font that neither Alf nor the rest of Team Jade understand. They did know that there had to be _some_ way to _activate_ the ship - but nothing had been promised so far. The only lead they had was a particularly small and cramped subroom, perhaps just the size of one of the former Jade Palace dormitories - in it, a series of blue crystals lay dusted and mildly molded on the ground - they were connected to a vast system of cables that lead through and connected to the rest of the ship, but the crystals by themselves did nothing. Alf had guessed this to the ship's "fuel bunker" of a sort - although he had no idea how to interact with the crystals, and much less - activate the ship.

The ship.

Technically it was _his_ ship.

His parents' ship.

Used to be.

Alf shut his eyes, choosing not to think of that.

"Alf," Zhong came up, tapping the Seeker on the shoulder. "Shifu's asking for you."

Alf turned back, seeing the five million refugees in the ship - packed close together, some sitting, some standing, many on the stairways leading up to the ceilings of the metal container - all confused and scared of what was to come.

He turned away, walking through the ship's metal doors and back into the cool darkness of the cave, spotting all of Team Jade - Wang, Po, the Five, and Shifu - standing anxiously a few feet away. The cave seemed ominously empty now that all the refugees were inside the ship now, with nothing but blood-spattered bodies of refugee victims and Team Jade filling the hollowness of the cave.

"How'd you open the doors, by the way?" Zhong questioned immediately, walking alongside Alf. "Monkey thought he heard you say something like - _Alfa_? Or something? Is that your - "

"We can talk about it later," Alf retaliated, already concerned with evaluating that revelation privately - on his own time. "Right now, let's just try to get this ship going."

"You sound irritated," Zhong questioned, still walking alongside Alf.

"Yeah I was going to go into that weird crystal room and see if I could get stuff up and running," Alf noted. "Then you come in and say Shifu's calling me…"

"I am," Shifu noted, overhearing their conversation from a few feet away. "This - _thing_ \- says it'll only talk to you."

Alf joined the rest of the "leader group" - namely Wang, Po, Shifu, and the Five. Him and Zhong looked straight ahead, seeing a mysterious yet similar blue presence tower above them. The presence appeared like Omega did back at the Valley - it wasn't physical, there wasn't a form to it - but it was definitely communicating with them, like a flickering, lighted blue ghost. Nevertheless, no one recognized it.

It was Seeker as well, bearing distinctive black, dark armor. The man was enormous - on the same size as the scout that had magically been taken care of, yet perhaps a bit smaller than Omega. He was still far larger than Wang - the largest animal Alf knew. The man had a brown beard and hair, with a thick, deep, accented voice (almost resembling a Europa voice) that was overset by a square hairline and distinctively jagged, sharp armor. Golden eyes that could cut daggers were etched deep set into the man's face, signaling unusual levels of warmth yet pleasant strength - in sharp contrast to the Seekers they had been accustomed too.

"I am communicating via holographic tunneling - my name is Scout Henderson," the blue, flickering figure noted. "I figured I wanted to tell you - the only human on this planet - something important."

"Lemme guess," Alf asked, completely tired. "You and your buddies are coming to kill us."

Henderson sadly shook his head.

"I don't know how much you know, boy," Henderson began. "But - in short - we are Alliance Protectors - or guards, as your language might translate - who work for an organization that you people can't hope to escape from."

Alf laughed dismally, ignoring the saddened faces of Wang, Shifu, the Five, and Po around him. Only Zhong laughed mildly as well, understanding exactly where Alf was coming from.

"I could give two _shits_ ," Alf spat. "If you're communicating or whatever just to scare us - "

"I am saying resistance is _futile_ ," Henderson noted, visibly frowning. "We've been studying your civilization for five years! You don't possess the knowledge, the access, the advancement to - "

"Screw off," Viper immediately chimed in.

"Listen, the way this works is that we come and _colonize_ your planet," Henderson noted with a frown. "The more of a fight you people put up - the more will die. And it'll all be for nothing. So just - please - roll over, as the idioms of your language would say."

"What a nice guy!" Po sarcastically noted. "Nice to see that the guys tryna kill us are like - don't worry - just give up! We won't massacre you!"

Anger was growing now, even Shifu chimed in. "You people - are nothing but psychopathic _murderers!_ "

"Not _all_ of us _approve_ of colonization - I'm definitely against it," Henderson noted grimly, sighing. "But colonization's been an Alliance tradition for - I dunno how long… I - I just would like to see a planet _peacefully_ submitted, instead of - "

"Screw," Alf started. "Off."

Henderson sighed again, nodding as the blue presence faded away.

A momentary pause.

Everyone was just thinking over the words that the man had been trying to say - the genuineness in his voice - and judging by everything that had just happened, it felt perfectly natural to assume that everything would go exactly as Henderson said they would.

Yet there was also what Alf was feeling - that instinctive sense of mad rebellion and anger - at the world, at his parents for coming here, at Shifu for the collar, everything - five years of being told what to do was compelling him - for the first time in his life… say no.

 **. . .**

Alf looked at the amulet, reading it several times in his head.

 _Alpha._

 _Alpha._

 _Alpha._

It - intrigued him.

He was sitting alone in the ship's fuel bunker - the one area where he knew no one would come. By himself, with nothing but the cold, metallic walls and glowing crystals fastened to wires around him - Alf felt oddly at peace, despite the enormous stress that everyone outside was going through. It had been a few hours since Henderson's transmission, and Wang had thought of it being a good idea to let everyone - especially the refugees - try to grab a quick nap on the cold, metallic floors of the ship, while himself and Team Jade took turns trying to decipher how the ship's fuel bunker could be started to activate the ship. They knew their time was almost up - Henderson's last message seemed imminent, as if the Seeker army was about to arrive any second now - yet even as this thought held over Alf, he could only think of what was in his hands now.

He looked back at the amulet.

 _Alpha._

Alf wondered how it was possible. He didn't recognize the name at all - and it didn't even sound like anything he had heard on this world - yet there was some kinship towards it. A kind of - hopeful understanding that somewhere, somewhere very far away and in the past - he was just _Alpha_ , a regular kid with normal parents. Alf wondered how his life would have been - if his family had never landed on this world.

A useless question to ask at this point.

"Alf?"

He whipped around, surprised to see anyone down here. Then he grew calmer.

Tigress.

The bandaged but gentle master walked closer to him, smiling - golden robes somehow miraculously still together. She kindly dragged him onto the floor - both leaned their backs against the metallic walls of the fuel chamber, gazes fixed on each other.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Tigress whispered.

"I'm fine," Alf lied, twirling the amulet in his fingers. "Just - thinking. How's everyone else?"

"The refugees are trying to sleep - it's midnight and most haven't slept in at least three days," Tigress noted sadly. "Wang and his Yongshi morons are keeping watch outside the cave - waiting for the ships to arrive. Po and the Five - and my father - are just standing around the ship, fighting."

Alf grew concerned. "Fighting? The hell should be fighting over now? A freakin' invasion is gonna - "

"Over a bunch of _crap_ ," Tigress let out - surprising Alf - he had never heard her swear before. "Who's responsible. Who let the refugees die. Who did this. Who did that - just a load of bull - "

She stopped, shaking her head. "It's just - everyone's on edge, I guess. How's the ship's fuel stuff going?"

Alf chuckled morosely, appreciating how miserable their situation was. "I - I dunno. I can't crack it - I mean, it looks like the crystals power the ship but - to activate it…"

Alf idly kicked a blue crystal as large as his body on the floor, watching it merely roll a few feet away uselessly.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Tigress noted, kind smile returning. "I trust you."

Although this helped, it did nothing to relieve Alf of his burdening stress.

"But - I think you seem distracted by something else," Tigress noted, looking at the amulet in Alf's palm. "Maybe - the thing in your hand?"

Alf moved his palm away from her. "Just thinkin' - that's all…"

"Kinda late for those thoughts now," Tigress emphasized, paws just mildly taking the amulet away from Alf's fingers. "What's this?"

Tigress squinted at the name inscribed, confused.

" _Al - pha?_ " Tigress let out, questioning. "Wait - this is the thing you used to open the doors? Monkey was right…"

Tigress was now even more interested in the amulet than she was Alf. He tried to stop her from interacting with it further, but a few more turns from Tigress' palm activated the amulet further - and the voice came back up.

 **Play message?**

 **-Affirmative**

 **-Negative**

"Don't press _affirmative_ …" Alf tried. "Please…"

It was too weak of an appeal to dissuade Tigress. Besides, a small portion of Alf wanted to hear that voice again.

Tigress pressed the button.

And the voice continued.

 _The_ voice.

As the message played again for the second time - Alf took the opportunity to focus on the rich emotional intonations that his late mother had been speaking with, the clever word choices - even the pleasant, even joking demeanor. He had no memories of ever hearing that voice, yet it did stir something in him - a deep longing, a sad kind of realization over a past that Alf felt was stolen away from him.

What hurt him even more was how hopeful his mother had sounded.

That they would truly be happy on the _new_ planet.

This one.

They had no idea - even then - of what was to happen.

Alf thought back to the words Henderson had said - about how there were some Seekers who disapproved of the - colonization crap that the rest were comfortable with.

Good and bad Seekers.

Alf hoped with all his heart that his family had been good.

The message finished playing, Alf lost as the words disappeared.

Tigress stared slack-jawed at Alf, shocked. "I - I - "

"You don't have to say sorry," Alf cut her off, grabbing the amulet from her. "You didn't know them."

"But neither did you," Tigress emphasized, grabbing the young man's shoulders. "Alf - I'm so sorry."

"None of it matters now," Alf whispered in defeat. "Think about how the hell we're gonna get away from Omega's army… about what the hell we're gonna do once we're - beyond the sky…"

No one had even discussed that yet.

What would they do if the ship worked?

Blast off beyond the sky?

What was beyond there?

How long would they keep drifting aimlessly - like his parents apparently did?

Did it even matter?

Tigress sighed. "Well, if it helps - I found this thing lying around the ship…"

Alf saw Tigress extract a small metal square, somehow bonding it to her center of her ruffled paw.

"Show me your neck," Tigress asked.

"I'm not in the mood for games," Alf sighed, looking back at the glowing crystals on the floor of the fuel bunker room.

"Just - show me your neck."

Alf huffed, casually inching closer to Tigress. He swiveled his head around, feeling her warm paw make contact with the back of his collar. He sighed again, wondering what kind of practical joke she was doing…

… and instantly shut up.

A noise.

A very distinct noise.

Metal against metal.

Something falling.

Alf was so enamored with the sensation that he didn't understand what was happening.

He looked down at the metal floor.

Something circular was laying there.

A distinctly circular object.

A collar.

Alf's fingers rushed to his neck, expecting the ever-present metal to be there.

It wasn't.

For the first time - in perhaps five years - Alf felt his fingertips touch his neck.

His real neck.

The flesh.

Not metal.

It was - incredible. The flesh was definitely burnt and twisted, perhaps years of being suppressed under the collar had given it an ugly feeling and crushed sensation, and some of the flesh was clearly burned from the numerous shocks Alf had endured over the years.

Yet he couldn't stop himself, eyes wide open.

He kept touching, expecting the metal collar to somehow be around there - somewhere.

It wasn't.

It was just his neck.

"Found this thing lying around," Tigress whispered, smiling at Alf as she showed him the metal square in her palm. "It had a circular picture on it - which kinda looked like the collar - so I figured, yanno…"

Alf kept touching his neck.

Disbelief.

It couldn't be.

Not after all this time.

It just couldn't.

He relentlessly passed his fingers around his neck, lavishing in the sensation of…

 _Feeling_.

Of feeling it all again.

Five years.

"I know it's kinda late," Tigress noted sadly. "But I just figured that - "

She stopped.

At first, Tigress thought Alf had somehow punched her - or disappeared - because he had moved so quickly that she didn't have time to react.

Yet to her pleasant surprise - he hadn't punched her.

His arms were wrapped around her torso.

Face buried into her neck.

Alf squeezed as tightly as he possibly could. "Tigress…"

He wanted to say the words.

 _Thank you._

 _Thank you._

Yet his voice was too emotional.

His mind was racing.

Alf couldn't get anything out.

And yet - to his immense surprise - something else happened.

A gentle pressure on his back.

Then a pressure onto his head.

A warmth - a warmth that he had never experienced before.

Tigress had wrapped her arms around him, leaning her chin atop his head carefully. She was being cautious to avoid squeezing too tight as well, mindful of Alf's injuries.

Alf closed his eyes, allowing himself to forget about everything for just a moment.

"Tigress…" he tried again, trying to thank her.

"Yeesh I didn't know you were _menstruating_..." Tigress urged, although the voice was soothing rather than acerbic - so soothing that Alf couldn't believe the tone was coming from her. "Keep it down, would ya?"

And Alf did, enjoying it further as she passed her paws across his back in rhythmic, calming motions. All the while he had known her, he had just known the blunt impact of her fists as she sparred with him - or her ferocious eyes as they intimidated people - yet Alf had never felt these sensations from her before.

Tigress gently pulled his head back with a free paw, smiling at him. "Does it really matter what that shitty amulet says?"

"What do you mean?" Alf breathed, voice hazy and relaxed.

" _Alpha_ ," Tigress started jokingly. "Alf. _Angelina_. Fleshling. Scumbag seeker… I mean… does it really matter what your name is?"

Alf closed his eyes, small tear trickling out despite his best efforts.

"We are who we choose to be," Tigress firmly concluded. "Never forget that."

Alf just closed his eyes, resting back onto her frame.

And in that moment - in that tiny little second - Alf forgot everything and everyone, mind gone and fears removed - choosing to do nothing else but enjoy this precious space of time as much as he could. He was waiting for Tigress to get annoyed with him - to kick him off, or make fun of him, or say he was a girl - yet it never came. She just sat there alongside him, body still and patient - willing to stay close to him as long as he wanted to. Having never been this physically close to Tigress before, Alf had expected it to be cold and hard - muscles rigid and inflexible, too "hardcore" to show any sympathy towards anything.

And he had felt that before - in fact, most of his experiences of her fit the trend.

Yet this time was different. Tigress' body almost instinctively softened towards his presence, protectively and gently embracing him in a surge of genuine - for there was no other word for it - affection.

"You tell anybody about this," Tigress whispered. "I'll kill you before Omega can."

Alf chuckled, shaking his head. "I won't - I promise."

Tigress smirked.

"Good girl."

 **. . .**

To everyone's happiness - the refugee count had mostly stabilized. Five million seemed to be pretty much everyone who had chosen to come to Gongmen, or had at least the resources to come - Wang didn't dare think about what would happen to all the people left behind on Europa and Asia - which meant that everything now was just a waiting game. Waiting for Alf (or someone else) to figure out how to start the ship, waiting for the Seeker army to start landing - and waiting for the inevitably uncertain future that was to come.

Death, survival, or something else - everyone had somewhat acclimatized themselves to the end.

And the final piece came.

Just as dawn began to begin, almost symbolically representing a new, final day - the sun rose over the formerly sleepy stretches of Gongmen and its surrounding, grassy plains - the sole, only group that had chosen to leave the safe confines of the cave and ship were Wang, Alf, Po, the Five, Shifu, and Zhong. This principal group of observers took the time to ingest one last breath of warm morning air - seeing a variety of flying, strange ships start to slowly poke through the cloud cover and broad sunlight, covering the entire sky in a harrowing blanket of dark, unfeeling metal. And just then, it felt that everything had been merely a test up to this point - Tai Lung, Shen, even Kai - and all the fights they had with others, amongst themselves, within the Valley, with the Jade Palace, with Shifu, with Wang, with bandits, with Zhong - and finally with Alf - everything seemed to be leading up to this moment.

Alf noted with a grim awakening that it was exactly how his dreams had showed it to him - himself, standing alone with the people he loved most in this world - facing a metal sky of impending doom, fate completely uncertain.

Tigress grasped his hand, standing beside him. "To the end."

Po did similarly, at his right. "To the end."

Alf closed his eyes, realizing that there was only one chance to get everyone out of this alive and free.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _AAAAAAHHHH SO MUCH NEW INFORMATION!  
_

 _Also by the way - I compressed the storyline even more - there's just one more chapter left in KFP 3._

 _Yes, the next chapter will be the LAST in KFP 3._

 _Yep._

 _But a few notes about this chapter (I combined two separate chapters to expedite the story, lol...)_

 _1\. There's definitely Seekers who oppose the brutality and inhumane nature of colonization (like Henderson - **an OC created by Mikat2 - shoutout to him/her!** )_ \- _and even though no one believed him, our Scout really was trying to look out for Alf's best interests the time he contacted him in the cave._

 _2. Alf's name: Yep, I don't think anyone guessed it - but "Alf" was phonetically just how the villagers ended up trying to prononunce "Alpha" - or Alph, as his mother called him. His "real"/birth name is Alpha - and the fact that he just now hears his mother's voice - in an old holographic message - is kinda sad. And yes, I know there's an "Omega" in this story and Alf's real name is "Alpha" - I'll just wink and say - read on, for now. ;) Speculations speculations..._

 _3. Da collar: YES THE COLLAR'S FINALLY OFF. LITERALLY TOOK FIVE YEARS AND 40+ CHAPTERS BUT OUR BOI FINALLY GOT THE COLLAR OFF THANKS TO TIGRESS. For those who're long time readers, I wanted to make the payoff genuine - so even with all the crazy nonsense happening in their lives now, the fact that Tigress - in the penultimate chapter of KFP 3 - manages to "free him" from his symbol of oppression and discrimination - is, imo - a big feat. And what follows is a great, heartwarming scene indicative of him and Tigress' relationship progression - from bitter enemies in KFP 1, to reluctant allies in KFP 2, to genuine friends/sibling analogues in KFP 3. Everything's coming full circle._

 _4. The final_ scene: _I wanted to make it grim, dark, foreboding, and short. Just picture that after 5 years, everything that was been built up in this fic is coming alive - a sea of metal ships, the invasion - everything Alf dreamed about is happening - right. Now._

 _We're close._

 _REALLY close to the end of KFP 3._

 _Just one chapter to go._

 _Support rocks._

 _~TW_


	50. KFP 3:15 (Arc Finale)

" **The End"**

* * *

Stress.

Tension.

Fear.

It was palpable.

Alf stood in the center of the fuel bunker, looking at the crystals in confusion. Beside him, the Five, Po, and Zhong were watching him work anxiously - while Wang and Shifu were outside, in the main deck of the ship - somehow trying to coordinate the calming, assuring quiet of five million refugees. Alf himself was feeling a kind of fear he had never felt before - but it was almost completely overwhelmed by the need to do better - the need to do this right.

He couldn't fail.

He scanned the entire room, taking in its metallic walls - horribly huge paneling with buttons and switches he didn't understand, and crystals attached to wires that somehow _had_ to power the ship - yet there was no way to start it.

He had tried everything.

Switching on the switches.

Pressing the buttons.

Banging on the walls and screaming.

The crystals did nothing but remain motionless - attached to the dim, black wires.

Out of the corner of his eye - Alf saw something.

In the final hour.

A large cylinder - dim and devoid of life - but with a space eerily jagged and reminiscent of something.

The hole was in the exact same shape of the crystal at Alf's feet.

Loud explosive noises came from outside, as the refugees started to panic. The noises were accompanied by stamping feet, and immensely powerful, booming voices - definitely coming from inside the cave - yet still perhaps a few thousand paces from the ship.

"SURRENDER NOW."

"RESISTANCE IS USELESS."

"LOWER LIFEFORMS - EXIT THE SHIP AND YIELD TO OUR - "

"Wang!" Alf roared, needing more time. "Press the button to your left!"

Alf had already worked out how to close the doors. Wang - who was standing near the entrance of the doors, and clearly petrified by the number of Seekers he was seeing - merely did as requested, and the doors firmly came down with an imposing _thud_.

More noises followed however.

Explosions.

Concussive blasts began rattling the ship - banging fiercely on the door.

"ALF!" Tigress called out, rushing to the closed doors in sacrificial protectiveness over the refugees. "IT'S NOW OR NEVER!"

Alf struggled to pick up the crystal - which weighed much more than it looked. "PO! HELP ME WITH THIS!"

More sounds.

More impressions.

The banging explosions on the doors.

Angry voices - all deep and powerful - yet mechanical, outside the ship's walls.

A horde of refugees - stretching from floor to ceiling - all crying and praying in the din of chaos.

Po and Zhong came rushing forward, eager. With Alf's help, they picked up the massive crystal, beginning to move to the edge of the fuel bunker room - dragging the cable along with them. With a herculean shove, they placed the crystal in the center of the cylinder - watching it glow and start rotating.

Another voice - robotic yet neutral - broke through the onslaught of noise, of screeching metal, terrified cries, and metallic banging.

 _Emergency mode activated._

 _State designation._

"ALPHA!" Alf roared. "ALPHA! ALPHA! ALPHA! PLEASE! GET US OUTTA HERE!"

The ship started rotating even faster, beginning to grow louder and louder. Alf, Zhong and Po moved to the central deck - hearing an enormous sound begin to overtake the rest of the banging metal and crying - something was exploding, but not randomly - it was occurring beneath the ship, almost in focus… and slowly, the ship started moving upwards.

Something was happening.

"THEY'RE BLASTING INTO HYPERSPACE!"

"DISABLE THE THRUSTERS!"

The angry Seeker voices continued outside the sealed metal ship. Alf again observed the crowd of scared yet suddenly interested refugees - as the enormous "pushing" noise continued below the ship… it sounded like a thousand fires simultaneously combusting and blowing hot air, and with such force that the ship began levitating and shaking with incredible effort. The five million refugees were being knocked off their feet, falling over each other as Tigress and Wang were thrown back from the doors. Po and Zhong fell onto their backs, as Shifu and the rest of the Five struggled to stay upright.

Alf heard one last noise.

A colossal boom.

Then nothing.

 **. . .**

If a random person were to arrive at Gongmen City, he might note that the area surrounding it looked nothing like what the travel guide said it would be like.

For one, the smooth grasslands and vast prairies outside the city were almost completely covered under the gigantic, plodding backsides of enormous, jagged metal ships - at least twenty of them sufficiently large to occupy all the grassland for as far as the eye could see - and stretching up well into the clouds.

But far more notably, if the same person were to walk to the outskirts and glance through a tunnel leading down - they might find a cave.

The cave was quite densely packed. On one half of the cave, there was an equally massive metal ship - clearly older and less advanced than the ones outside - which had its doors and bottom metal flooring ripped off and blown to shreds. A vague, smoky atmosphere permeated the cave's massive walls - bouncing off the exteriors.

Then there were the bodies.

From the remains of the exploded and partially destroyed ship, there were thousands of torn and destroyed animal corpses - some children and young women - covering the edges of the destroyed ship doors. There were also alive refugees who had been shoved outside of the doors by way of the explosion, sitting in the former entrance to the ship with absolute fear. Most of the ship's inhabitants were alive - although many had been killed - but the ship had been permanently deactivated, damage too great to its chassis and underside thrusters. About half of the formerly five million refugees had been blown outside by the force of the ship's destruction, forming humble groups - hugging and crying together in silence at the invaders in front of them.

Humans.

Tall, incredibly organized bands of armored figures - no smoke, no lights, no apparitions - real, fully featured and protected human beings in armored suits… a band one hundred men strong, who merely looked at the chaos with a smile, all carrying various rifles and long-ranged, mysterious weapons on their backs. There were two armored soldiers apart from the rest, looking at the destroyed ship and terrified refugees in front of them with cold nonchalance. One of the men had his rifle pointed at the ship, smoke emitting from its barrel.

" _That's_ for putting that _drone_ on me," Zero noted, putting his rifle down. "Pathetic…"

"All it took was one shot?" Omega asked, smiling. "I'm impressed - even by Alliance Protector standards - that's quite impressive…"

Zero grinned. "Where's Henderson? You didn't take him on the strike team?"

"Put him in the cyber brigade," Omega noted. "I don't want his _sentiments_ for these creatures interfering in business."

"Wise, Commander," Zero concluded.

Omega stepped forward, signaling his band of soldiers to quickly traverse the cave and surround the terrified refugees. Some were still hiding in the destroyed remains of the ship, but that didn't concern Omega - what delighted him was the number of fresh labor for the Alliance - millions of easily subservient animals who could be reformatted easily as fresh duty workers. He watched their horrified, teary faces with genuine surprise - had he not warned them for so long that this was coming?

"Attention! Native lifeforms!" Omega called out, thunderous tone and imposing presence silencing everyone.

He watched all the refugees - and even his soldiers - stare at him with perfect obedience. A few of his men pointed rifles at the scared refugees, forcing them into submission.

"By now, I hope it has become clear that whatever your little _resistance_ has tried…" Omega noted. "It has failed. Miserably. And look at the carnage all of this has done…"

He pointed to the innumerable bodies of dead animals all around him, and covering every inch of the cave - some from the ship's destruction, and some from Zero's previous assault.

"We do not wish to cause anymore unnecessary bloodshed," Omega forced. "All we need is your unconditional submission - and I promise you - no one else will die."

The refugees stayed quiet, huddling closer in groups as Omega's soldiers pressed them more densely together with rifle threats. Omega recognized some of them within the gigantic crowd, mostly due to their closeness with the human of this planet - a female tiger, a large panda, a small red panda - and the large lion that he had encountered before. They were the only ones that stared right back at Omega with utter loathing - all the other millions of refugees merely kept their gazes low and quiet.

"I congratulate you all on becoming part of the Alliance for Galactic Evolution!" Omega called out cheerfully. "I understand this must all be new for you - but I promise you - do what we say, and all of this should go as smoothly as possible."

Omega paused, letting his words sink in to the huge crowd.

"You are all official _duty workers_ for the Alliance for now, and will be transported in a new planet shortly," Omega declared. "Now - just one last piece of business…"

Omega turned on his heat detection visor, scanning the wreckage of the ship for a very specific heat signature…

...till he found it.

Omega activated a panel in his wrist, blasting out a tensile metal rope that lunged into the ship, caught onto something, and pulled itself back.

A young human male - with spiky black hair, a ring of scars around his neck, and a bleeding cut into his throat - came thrusted back, attached to the rope.

"DON'T HURT HIM!" Tigress called out, terrified. "ALF!"

"ALF! NO!" Po screamed.

Omega dragged the boy to his feet, sheathing his device. He observed that although Alf's face was angry and rebellious - the boy couldn't speak - evidently some shrapnel had cut clean through his vocal cords, leading to the bloody gash on the throat of the boy.

Alf gasped and gasped, yet no noise would come.

Omega bent down, speaking in a whisper. "As for you - _traitor_ \- may this be a lesson that these miserable lifeforms never forget…"

Omega brought out his own large rifle, pointing it squarely at Alf's chest. Tigress shook with anger, standing up before a nearby human soldier shoved her down with ease.

"ALF!" Tigress wailed, slightly teary now. "PLEASE! OMEGA! DON'T DO THIS! LET HIM - "

Omega paused, looking at Tigress' sobbing wails with amusement. "How interesting - an _animal_ having an affection for a human…"

Alf kept gasping, blood rushing from his gash. He turned to see Tigress five hundred feet away, reaching out his hand to her.

" _Never_ betray your kind," Omega whispered, firing his rifle.

 _BOOM._

Tigress saw it.

She saw the last of it.

She felt still for a while, seeing the blast cleave through Alf's chest, rendering the boy motionless.

A burst of blood.

The bone wasn't even there anymore.

Just a large, gaping hole - that remained as Omega removed his rifle end from Alf.

Tigress saw those faint brown eyes gently dim, while his hand - still outstretched to her - drooped down, and after a long moment - hit the ground.

Then nothing.

She could feel nothing.

Tigress felt numb.

Omega continued his speech - almost as if nothing had happened.

"I promise you that we are helping you all _evolve_ ," Omega noted. "Evolution - as I've said - is inevitable."

Tigress held the last word in her head, thinking it over again and again.

Inevitable.

Inevitable.

Inevitable.

And Tigress - for the first time in her life - instead of rushing the enemy, or attacking - merely let her head droop down.

Delusion broken.

Reality accepted.

Inevitability.

* * *

 **END OF KFP 3 (ACT III)**

* * *

 **A/N**

 _And that's the end of… KFP 3. Yes, I'm not joking._

 _But is it the ending of this fic? Hehe…_

 _Hell naw._

 _Next chapter is coming in a week - gonna take a break until then to avoid burnout (3 chapters in 2 days is too much, lol). See ya then!_

 _I wanted to go this way for a couple of reasons. One, I had it in my mind way back when I was writing KFP 1 - that when the Seekers would eventually get to the planet, they would no doubt defeat everyone. Yes, there's no heroic fight here and there's no illogical sense of a civilization barely out of the middle ages being able to defeat a super advanced, tech-heavy civilization. Secondly, I wanted to make the consequences as severe as possible - and admit that despite the fact that Team Jade tried their best, the gap in power between the Seekers and everyone else make it almost impossible for this ending to go any other way._

 _Yet I promise you - all this buildup starting from KFP 1 hasn't been wasted. The fic will continue._

 _Just in a different saga. A different… feel._

 _Tune in soon, because the next chapter will be the first in KFP 4. Although I prefer to call it - World War Seeker._

 _The only thing I'd say now is make no assumptions and enjoy the ride ahead… it'll be a doozy. Hence, no spoilers. :)_

 _Till next time._

 _Support is the beast._

 _~TW_


	51. WWS:1

**A/N:** _Welcome back! As you will probably soon see, this chapter is written a bit - differently compared to most of my chapters, mostly to illustrate passing time better. It's also VERY LONG - at 16k words (goodness me…) BUT WAIT!_

 _But future chapters will go back to my usual style AND length (4k words a chapter), no worries! This chapter is just to fill in the "gaps" on what our fav. Characters have been upto since the ending of KFP 3…_

 _Enjoy? The chapter's quite depressing as a disclaimer, but READ THE A/N at the end! I promise I won't disappoint you._

 _Try to read carefully, cuz this chapter sets the stage for the rest of the fic..._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Also added a numbering system for the lolz._

 _Lol._

* * *

 ** _ Arc II, Act I: World War Seeker_ **

* * *

**1**

" **After The End"**

* * *

It had been a few seconds since Reformation.

The crowd was completely silent. In the smoky remains of the large, rocky antechamber, the atmosphere was dark and heavy - putrid from rotting flesh and decaying corpses and atmospheric pollution. Everything felt dark and cramped - and the amount of enormous, armored Seekers in the room had restricted the rest of the refugees to clambering around each other, shivering and shaking in place as they huddled near the broken remains of the exploded escape vessel. Bodies and mutilated corpses were everywhere, further destroying any hope of personal space being a priority. A sole crack in the cave ceiling let in soft moonlight, bathing the refugees in innocent highlights. The golden-armored Seekers stood in contrast, on the other end and encircling the entire antechamber so escape was impossible. They all stood heads and shoulders above the refugees, making the entire event feel like a prison camp.

A particularly tall Seeker stood out, highlighted by his bold red and black armor.

"Dispose of the traitor's body," Omega declared with disgust.

Tigress shook in place, watching the guards drag Alf's body away. She just saw the tips of his motionless fingers disappear as the guards walked to the nearest metal ship - a new one, conveniently brought inside the cave - pressing their hands to the exterior to bring out several panels. They lit up gently as the armored soldiers pressed in several combinations - then after a quick moment, a dark, metallic panel retracted as a red-hot fire was exposed by the ship's underbelly, stuffed into the vehicle. Tigress could only watch in horror as the guards casually tossed Alf's motionless corpse inside.

She only managed to see the last few seconds before they closed the panel.

She saw his face desecrated first.

Then she saw his body slowly start to burn as the flames touched him.

Then she saw his beautifully thick black hair lost in orange streaks of light.

After the panel closed, it really hit her - Tigress understood it perfectly now.

It was over.

"YOU MONSTER!" Po roared, as Tigress suddenly was inclined to look back. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Tigress begged the panda to stop, but he broke free from her grip and rushed at Omega. Laughing, the enormous Seeker prevented his guards from stepping in and ending it prematurely - he wanted to enjoy this.

Po swung as hard as he could, fist fracturing on Omega's armor.

"ARGH!" the panda squealed, voice silenced as Omega backhanded him hard enough to knock fresh blood from Po's mouth.

Tigress watched Po collapse on the ground.

Omega walked a bit more to the center of the antechamber, seeking to address his guards first.

"Dispose of the rest of the bodies, conquer the survivors, and brand any alive captives," Omega addressed. "Mark them accurately - A.G.E's needs are diverse and we have yet to understand the physical capabilities of these… refugees…"

Tigress watched more golden-armored guards drag away the corpses and rotting flesh, throwing them into the exact same fire pit she had seen previously.

"Mark _this_ bitch first," Omega noted with a smirk, pointing at Tigress.

She felt an enormous guard drag her face up effortlessly. He grinned at her, exposing Tigress' cheek fur to a strange blue device.

Tigress felt all the pain that the device was doing - burning away fur and forcefully inscribing something on her - yet she didn't scream.

She could only think of the fire pit.

Of seeing him last.

That thick dark hair.

 **. . .**

It had been a few days since Reformation.

The rest of the planet had been conquered in short time. The Seeker ships practically teleported from one place to another - first fizzling, then shifting in place - then bursting into light. Through their destructive energy weapons, armored technology, and speed of conquest - the rest of the planet was subjugated in mere moments. Tigress wasn't sure how high the death count had been.

She wondered if any civilizations - Chinese or not - had fought back.

Maybe something in Europa.

Maybe something else.

But the result was clear.

Much death - and much submission.

Zero resistance.

Zero recovery.

It was only after a few days - after all the refugees had been rounded up and branded, and firmly separated into distinct groups - that Tigress understood more of what Omega was planning. It was a surprisingly bright and sunny day, and the similar method of controlling refugees was made use of - Seeker guards stood around a band of refugees in an open dirt area, in Chinese wilderness well away from the destroyed remains of Gongmen. At least fifteen gigantic metal ships surrounded everyone - fractured and jagged silhouettes casting a dark appearance on everyone below. Tigress recognized some of the refugees, and some she didn't. She saw the rest of the Five, Shifu and Po in different sections of the crowd, stretching enormously far - perhaps millions of them since fresh captives had been relocated into this area - uneasy to see how downcast their gazes were.

Were they starting to accept it?

"You will all be split into several distinct groups based on physical ability and biological makeup," Omega declared to the crowd of refugees sitting in front of him, encircled by his guards. "You will be transported to a production planet that needs your labor desperately - feel free to ask your designated ship captains if you need clarification."

Tigress was forced up from her sitting position, shoulder crushed by the movements of a large Seeker hand above her.

"You are all official _duty workers_ for the Alliance now," Omega indicated. "Please psychologically adjust to your new status, and the new civilization we are blessing you all with - as quickly as possible if you wish to prolong your lifespans."

The crowd didn't understand what this meant, but they had a feeling about what was to come.

An intuition.

Tigress felt it too.

"Follow me, TF-17," the guard proclaimed robotically, referencing the insignia now burned into Tigress' cheek.

Tigress obeyed the forced movement - he was leading her to a large brown, metal ship. She turned around for a second, observing that the rest of refugees were splitting up into different groups destined for different ships - all with a Seeker guard to keep them docile. Tigress hoped desperately that there would be someone in her group that she recognized.

She didn't.

Tigress watched the rest of the Five and Shifu be forcibly split into different groups. She saw Po for a fleeting moment as he turned back.

She knew she couldn't say much, given that her guard would kill her instantly if she made a scene.

Tigress blinked as lovingly as she could. She put as much emotion into it as she could. She put her heart and mind into conveying as much as she could - all the things she should have said - all the while letting a few tears just escape her eyes.

Po saw her. He started to mouth words.

 _I._

 _Love._

The guard had pushed the panda into an open section of a separate ship, failing to allow Po to complete his words. Tigress' guard shoved her into the metal ship of her own - Tigress started feeling her group of refugees surround her as the guard made his way up a metallic staircase - clearly going to some command or control deck. The ambient sunlight was lost as the panel closed, encapsulating the crowd inside the strange metal ship.

Tigress took in her surroundings.

Everything was flashy, lighted, and metallic.

It all seemed so - futuristic. Bright panels. Flashing numbers. A text type she could not read.

The space that the refugees were supposed to occupy was immeasurably cramped, but there was at least one window. Tigress rushed past the rest of the anxious refugees - each muttering scared comments to themselves while protecting their loved ones - the ones that managed to stay together, anyway.

Tigress looked out the window, seeing the dirt area.

She saw the destroyed remains of Gongmen far off into the distance.

She saw the metal ships all around the ship she was on.

A booming voice from above everyone.

 **THREE.**

Tigress watched the ships emit huge bursts of light, as the devices fastened to the bottom of the ships lit up.

 **TWO.**

The noise was growing deafening.

It didn't sound normal.

 **ONE.**

Tigress closed her eyes, imagining Po's face one last time.

 **INTERGALACTIC TRAVEL ENGAGED.**

An enormous burst of energy - so shocking that most of the crowding refugees were thrusted to the side of the metal ship as the Seeker guard above them - clearly controlling the ship - smiled cruelly.

Tigress watched out of the window in anxiety, sensing enormous energy being expelled by the ship they were on.

Whizzing air. The grasslands faded into a small patch of green. Gongmen faded to a small circle. Then the clouds rushed past the window and faded into white streams. And finally, she was so above the sky that Tigress could only see a small, rocky sphere fade into the distance…

...and just then, Tigress realized that they had left their world.

 **. . .**

It had been a month since Reformation.

Throughout the entire journey, Tigress hadn't taken her eyes off the window. _Space-travel_ \- as the Seeker guard had explained- was traversing distances far beyond the scope of what had been normal on Tigress' "home planet". She thought back to the moment when they had spent weeks to go from the Valley to Gongmen - but now, she had apparently traveled a distance equivalent to several million sextillion times that distance, in the same time. The number was so big that Tigress couldn't even fathom it. She had been amazed and shocked at the wonders she saw outside the window in the endless hours she spent looking out of the cramped area…

Space, as it turned out - was even more beautiful than she had imagined. Even though Tigress had always to an extent - imagined there would be _something_ beyond the blue skies and starry nights she had seen often back when she was in the Valley - she never expected space to look like this.

Endless stretches of pitch-black darkness. An enormous, foreboding sense of danger. And some of the most brilliant, shining lights she had ever seen. Tigress had heard some words that the Seeker captain had used - nebula, galaxy, stars - but she never quite understood them all. She was relentlessly impressed by the visuals however - space almost seemed like a large, infinite oasis of pure darkness highlighted by spectacular, shining formations - _nebulas and galaxies_ \- as she learned to understand, which shone much stronger than the "Sun" on her world ever did.

Despite the awe-inspiring sense of miraculous space travel, there was the constant reminder of who they were under. Just four days into the journey, a refugee child had broken away from his mother and begged for more food - the Seeker captain ignored it at first, but after a few hours of the child whining - he forcibly ejected the child into deep space.

Tigress only barely managed to console the horrified mother.

The process was terrifying. A strange tube-like machine had descended from the metallic ceiling, seizing upon the sheep child with pinpoint precision. The mother wailed and slammed her emaciated fists against the glass tubing - but to no avail. The child was jettisoned into the tube and - as Tigress saw in a second through the window - was forced into deep space.

And just then, everyone watched a visual representation of the dangers of space.

Space had made the child float - which was incredible to see at first. Then however, the child began to seize, convulsing violently as she grabbed her throat. It almost looked like she was choking - Tigress later understood that space had no air - and in a matter of seconds, the child stopped moving. Tigress watched the child's body swell and grow with fluid - blood starting to be forced out of orifices in such great quantity that she looked away in fright. The mother was paralyzed by the vision, standing near the window in awed shock.

No one complained after that incident.

And two days later - when the mother, driven mad by grief, stabbed herself with a spare scrap of metal - the Seeker ejected her out efficiently too.

Tigress didn't watch this time.

But the true surprise - indeed, the moment which really changed her perspective - was landing on the planet.

The "production" planet.

She had been sleeping at the time, so she felt an old hand gently graze her face.

"Wake up, Master Tigress," a pig refugee noted. "We're here."

Tigress stood up, grateful for her height allowing her to be slightly taller than the rest of the refugees.

An enormous, grating noise.

Followed by thick light blowing through the entire space.

Yet it didn't feel like normal light. Tigress was blinded at first, but felt the push of refugees simply shove her forwards - motioning and "feeling" her way forward, understanding that they were being forced out of the ships. It took a few moments for Tigress to understand where she was, and begin to take in her surroundings.

She finally managed to open her eyes. The first thing that came was light - but it wasn't bright, or warm like the light she remembered back home - it was thin, fleeting, and very noxious. It barely lit up the surrounding ground - which Tigress was shocked to see. The ground wasn't cobble, or dirt, or even stone - it seemed like molten lava, crushed over earth with red streaks running through it. She turned her attention upwards - the sky was black and filled with a heavy smog, no clouds, with blue streaks of lightning running past the entire surface. She was particularly repulsed by the air - although breathable - was heavy and dragged in Tigress' lungs, exhausting her so effortlessly without even moving. It irritated her fur and was dry and hot, feeling nothing like the cool, mild breezes she had experienced back at the Valley.

Tigress was taken aback by the scale of the area - they had to be in some kind of city, but the city was so vast and incredible that it could have been a whole country by itself. There were no mountains nor fog to distract from the sheer size of the rocky expanse - stretching well beyond what Tigress could see. The architecture looked so strange - numerous gigantic citadels were everywhere, at least as large as Gongmen itself - pierced into the sky. Everything was made out of some kind of shining metal hybrid.

The activity in front of Tigress was frantic and busy. Strange flying machines scoured over the enormous, rocky expanse, appearing almost miles away before suddenly arriving closer. Many machines emit bursts of light onto the ground and into the air, performing all kinds of confusing functions - and to Tigress' great surprise, other animal refugees were here - although they all looked much older and starkly different from her own refugee group… they looked like they had spent their entire _lives_ on this planet. As far as Tigress could see, work was being done - usually a Seeker supervised them, as animals old, sick, young, and dying toiled by mining through the crust of the planet with specialized machine equipment that Tigress didn't recognize. They were definitely trying to extract something from the ground - although slowness or punishment was immediately retaliated by the Seeker supervisor, who casually and joyfully shot the animal workers with some kind of energy weapon. Another one of Tigress' intuitions about the hazardous atmosphere and air were confirmed with more observation - all the Seekers in the area (even the captain) stayed inside their imposing armor, while the animal _duty_ workers labored in grey and blue fatigues, a few audibly collapsing under the strain of such poor working conditions.

The overall picture Tigress was getting was one of efficacy yet cruelty - the planet, and its noxious, lava-colored ground along with its thick, impenetrable black sky - was stuffed to the brim with a mix of metal and flesh work. Enormous buildings as far as the eye could see, a flurry of hustling machines, animals, and occasionally Seekers - and most directly in front of Tigress, her ship captain was speaking with a rather aged female lion with pink streaks in her fur, who was shockingly the same size as the Seeker captain.

Tigress perked her ears up to listen in.

"We got some fresh duty workers Karla," the captain noted, making a scribble on his clipboard. "Level 2 civilization from some shithole called XN-44 - got a mix of tigers, pigs, sheep analogues…"

"Oh come on!" the lion named Karla groaned, wearing distinct grey fatigues, which had a golden symbol that seemed to indicate seniority above the other animal workers Tigress was seeing. "I put in a request for some Level 5s - and the Alliance gives me _this_ shit?"

"We can't always get what we want…" the captain coolly answered.

"Level 2s take _so much time to train_ ," Karla answered angrily. "They don't understand machine work, the language, the civilization yet, the - "

"Not my problem," the ship captain again answered nonchalantly, forcing Karla to sign some flashing light panel before walking back to his ship.

Tigress watched the captain climb into the enormous metal ship through a staircase, closing it behind him. With another bestial roar that shook the entire area - the ship powered on and blasted into the atmosphere - disappearing behind the thick blanket of dark air.

Tigress watched the rest of her refugee crowd act nervously - not just because they were now stranded in some foreign area, completely in shock at everything around them - but also because a few Seeker soldiers had already began shoving the group forwards, pointing glowing energy weapons at the backs of the refugees - prompting quick movement. Tigress moved with the crowd forward, reaching Karla in no time.

"Attention erm - new duty workers!" Karla announced. "I understand you might be all confused as to your roles here - and all of this um - technological sights that may puzzle you."

Karla cleared her throat. "Be assured - we will take care of the acclimatization process. You will be separated into different groups, along with a human supervisor who will help transition you to this world and tell you your roles."

Almost on cue, four other Seekers suddenly appeared from the sides of the large refugee group and began splitting up people. Unlike the initial split, these soldiers did allow families to stay together if a large enough scene was created - and so, the refugees began following the supervisors in straight, neat lines away from each other. Tigress broke away from her supervised group for a second, approaching Karla in desperation.

"Hello," Tigress let out, confused. "I - I - "

She was at a loss.

What could she ask?

What the hell was happening?

What happened to the other ships bound for different planets?

Could she contact the rest of the Five, Shifu and Po?

What was she going to do?

"I understand if it all may be a bit much erm... " Karla started, staring down at Tigress' cheeks to get her insignia. "... _TF-17_ , but I promise you we will…"

"Can I um - contact my friends?" Tigress asked desperately. "Like um - contact the people who were in the other ships that uh - came to our planet?"

Karla sadly smiled. "Forget about them."

Tigress felt taken aback. "What? No - I need to know if they're still alive and - "

"Trust me kid - I've been a duty worker for a longass time," Karla emphasized. "Just take my advice - don't think about them anymore."

Tigress felt her heart break. "I - I - "

"TF-17!" the supervisor called out, noting Tigress' absence from his group a few hundred feet away. "GET OVER HERE!"

Tigress gulped.

"Just do what you're told, kid," Karla emphasized. "Let go of whatever your life was before - and start worrying about yourself."

Tigress felt a few tears slip out, but another roar from the supervisor brought her running back to her group.

 **. . .**

It had been a few months since Reformation.

Tigress was shocked at the amount of knowledge that she had gained in just fifteen weeks. Technology that seemed to baffle her before now became routine to her - and people and civilizations that previously seemed alien now were just a matter of everyday life. As Karla had also explained - many conditions of this planet, which Tigress now knew to be SD-77, were different compared to her previous world - which Tigress also now understood to be named XN-44. Tigress was alarmed to understand that her world was not the only one to undergo _Reformation_ \- humanity had subjugated countless civilizations of animal life on different planets, relocating them to "production planets" - vast worlds where economic efficiency in the form of energy mining was key. On SD-77, gravity - or, the force that caused compression and attraction between all things - was much weaker, leading to a progressive engorging of most of the animal workers' skeletons - explaining why Karla and by now - Tigress - had grown to near-Seeker heights and weights.

Speaking of gravity, there were so many fundamental truths of life that Tigress had absorbed by now that she seemed amazed how she had lived in the Valley with no knowledge of these things… she learned about philosophy, mathematics, the art of constructing machines, the native language - called EVOL - as well as more about the civilization that she and so many others were forcibly subjects to. It wasn't just the amount of new concepts and new words she had memorized and understood - it was the culture of an entirely new society, as well as understand so much more about the universe around her. As Tigress had learned, humanity was not restricted to living on just one planet, and had not been for quite some time - they had colonized at least fifty-seven galaxies, were finding more with each passing moment, and had progressed their means of transportation and weapons to near cataclysmic levels.

The Alliance for Galactic Evolution (everyone just referred to it as the Alliance) - or A.G.E - was the ruling body that governed all life under those fifty-seven galaxies, and in all likelihood beyond - with _Earth_ as an intergalactic capital. Contrary to what Tigress used to believe, she later realized Earth had been rebuilt by humans many times - even after multiple destructive events.

At the top of the Alliance's social hierarchy were _Designators_ , specially-chosen humans who were usually experts in a particular branch of study like cosmology or biology, who made choices for _all_ subjects under the Alliance - choices were pervasive and thorough, from things the subjects ate to the clothes they wore. For example - intergalactic army guards - or Alliance Protectors (colloquially referred to as APs) sported a distinctive golden, titanium-carbon fiber alloy armor… while regular duty workers wore standard grey fatigues. Technically, the APs were duty workers by themselves - but this didn't stop them from enforcing Alliance laws and regulation upon all disobedient workers. It had taken Tigress nearly four weeks to learn that Omega was a high-ranking AP - by some unconfirmed rumors, the Commander of the Intergalactic Army.

The Alliance's subjugated population was enormously diverse and strictly controlled - composing of ninety quadrillion lifeforms - which consisted of eighty-nine quadrillion humans and one quadrillion animal species, including rare animal-human hybrids created by millennia of illegal "breeding" - something Tigress didn't believe until she saw an actual hybrid while mining.

In sharp contrast, while the _Designators_ numbered just four humans - names not revealed to the public - there were a couple quadrillion APs scattered at every populated corner of a galaxy or planet, which left the vast majority of the A.G.E population to be normal human citizens of the Alliance. This subpopulation lived on "Alliance" planets - forbidden to all duty workers - which boasted thriving mega-cities, extremely high standards of living, and various sights and sounds which the disenfranchised could only dream of.

Speaking of the disenfranchised - or duty workers, as Tigress understood herself to be - they consisted just 1% of the Alliance population, yet produced 90% of its economic output in the forms of energy resources. However, the group possessed virtually no ownership of property, weapons, and lived in desolate conditions and near inhospitable planets - most worked for endless hours, labored under constant threat of abuse, torture, or death, and only granted a moment of reprieve when human supervisors would come and inject "duty cocktails" - vaporized concoctions of hormones that offered a joyless replenishing of energy levels and even sleep. Rarely, if workers performed well enough - they could afford certain privileges like reversion back to their "Pre-Reformation" names, actual sleeping time, actual _food_ instead of the duty cocktail - and although its existence was highly contested… even own a sizeable property, and marry - on a better, "resident" planet. Resident planets - although extremely few in number and infinitely inferior to Alliance planets - offered better living conditions than production planets and - if nothing else - gave hope of marginally better lives for most duty workers. One of the central issues however, was the disparity in life expectancies - those unfortunate enough to live on production planets (like Tigress' current home, SD-77) barely lived past thirty; those on resident planets were mostly capable of living into old age, perhaps seventy or eighty. Humans on Alliance planets however, benefited from incredible scientific advances, medical treatment, and stunning quality of life - such humans lived for thousands of years without fail. Thus Tigress could see why colonizing planets with life was such a focus for A.G.E - with a human majority population that barely worked, and an extreme, quickly dying minority of slave workers - finding new sources of "duty workers" was essential to making the intergalactic society go around.

And everything was based on this system.

The system Tigress was subject to now.

The system everyone - all ninety quadrillion of them - had to abide by.

The Designators decided everything.

No choice.

Only the fulfillment of one's "evolutionary purpose".

Under Alliance Constitution - all species, whether human or animal-based - were granted equal rights, as long as they were _evolutionarily_ reasonable. Everything in society was based around evolutionary purposes - birds were best suited for flying roles, large animals best for pulling and mining roles, while humans occupied all possible positions. To Tigress' initial shock, although the clear superiority of "human" over "animal" was enforced on private and public sectors - the two sides often intermingled. Although only pure humans could become Designators, it was theoretically possible to become an AP as an animal - although Tigress hadn't seen any in the few months she had spent on SD-77. Duty workers - while predominantly consisting of animals and animal hybrids - did have sizeable human minorities, often war prisoners or expatriates from Alliance planets.

Tigress even had a human friend.

Well - she was trying anyways.

"Damn this heat," Tigress noted in her grey fatigues, operating a handheld energy saw that was beginning to fail her. "Hey Ceci - name a planet hotter than SD-77."

"I heard GG-31 was pretty bad," Ceci emphasized, grey fatigues clouded with dust and smoke from mining so deep underneath the ground - alone with Tigress. "Five hundred degrees Celsius."

"That isn't too higher than here," Tigress retorted, trying to pry an energy crystal from within layers of molten rock. "Plus we've got the nitrogen air thing - don't they have good oxygen there?"

"I dunno…" Ceci noted, shoveling a large rock away from Tigress - lightening the load. "Hey - I always wanted to know… what does TF-17 stand for?"

"Tiger female, 17th on my planet," Tigress instantly answered, having heard this many times. "Don't you know yours?"

Ceci turned, showing a burned cheekbone. "HF-194019 - "

"Alright stop," Tigress cut her off, bored. "That just means human, female, numbered - whatever the hell that number is. Didn't they tell you this?"

Ceci merely smiled. "I - I'm kind of new - I just got my fatigues a few hours ago."

Tigress smiled, resuming the slicing away of rock.

"Any tips you got for me?" Ceci queried.

Tigress reached in, extracting the golden energy crystal with ease. "Shut up, and do what you're told."

 **. . .**

It had been a year since Reformation.

"TF-17!"

Tigress awoke with a startle, fear and emotion rushing through her. She gained an observation of her surroundings - she was still gratefully in the supervisor headquarters, and none of her limbs were damaged or missing - so everything was relatively fine. The dark, metallic pod that she had just awoken from was similar to the metallic paint of the supervisor's room - Tigress was a bit surprised every time she came here - it was just a bit better than the duty worker sleeping quarters, and not by much.

"How was your first _sleep_?" the human supervisor asked from his desk, red armor signaling his status.

Tigress remembered the memories that had came - that had rushed back while having her first sleep on SD-77.

His dark hair.

Omega.

The fire.

Watching her friends be torn away.

Po's smile.

His beautiful face.

All burning in the fire.

"Wonderful," Tigress lied, trying to avoid crying. "It - it was really wonderful… thank you so much…"

The supervisor walked closer to Tigress, smiling at her. "No - thank _you_. You're one of my best duty workers - that's the reason I'm giving you sleeping privileges. Keep it up, and you just might get some other stuff too."

Tigress narrowed her eyes. "Other… stuff…?"

The human supervisor smiled, retracting his faceplate. "Maybe - food. Maybe… a house… on XS-211…"

Tigress nearly broke herself with joy. "Oh my - oh thank you thank you thank you…"

"Calm down," the supervisor noted, pushing Tigress into place. "Nothing is confirmed yet, and it'll take a while for me to submit the request to Alliance housing - but… keep up the good work, that's all I'll say."

Tigress merely nodded, rushing back out of the room to complete her tasks with a newfound fervor. She walked out of the metallic bunker, breathing a deep sigh - before setting off in a paced walk towards the surface mining area about five hundred paces away. Tigress started moving.

She took in her surroundings, never failing to be surprised by the amount of activity on SD-77. As weak light drifted down from the smoky black sky, showering the molten, red ground with mild illumination - Tigress noted that at least two of the duty worker citadels had been torn down. This was evident from the huge piles of metal debris which stuck out oddly against the massive, rocky expanse - Tigress watched duty workers and machines gradually clean up the citadel remnants about three miles away. Housing was always historically low - but this seemed atrocious. Above her, a few flying "retrieval" bots powerfully soared above her - evidently going to acquire more energy saws and drills from the supervisors' headquarters. It was fortunate as well, as this week the entire team was working on harvesting an energy crystal that weighed nearly 4000 pounds - the only issue was that it was encased in a mineralized carbon rock composite, which had comfortably broken about fifty saws and pickaxes. Tigress herself had to call in every favor she knew to even get her team a refurbished Tank-Driller, a giant but operable machine able to cut through some of the more dense minerals. Supplies were notoriously low among SD-77's vast force of duty workers - the APs guarding them, however - never seemed to understand this, choosing to torture and kill any "disobedient" workers for not working "hard" enough and "complaining" too much.

Tigress never complained. She understood the situation.

"TF-17!" Karla called out.

Tigress smiled, watching the tall lion meet her in the middle of the long pathway leading back to the surface mines.

"Where have you been?" Karla questioned, walking alongside her junior duty worker.

"Guess who just got sleeping privileges," Tigress slyly mentioned.

Karla stopped her. "You're bullshitting."

Tigress shook her head with a smirk, continuing forward. "Nope."

"But it took me _years_ to get sleeping privileges!" Karla affirmed, groaning. "Hell, I only got my Pre-Reformation name back like two years ago!"

"Maybe I'm just better at mining," Tigress acerbically commented, earning a punch from Karla.

"Like hell," the lioness countered, grinning. "I taught you _everything_ about mining… maybe I'm just better she says…"

Tigress and Karla reached the mining area in another thirty seconds of walking. They watched the duty workers digging and mining in a deep trench, aided with a few machines and replaced energy saws. At the taller edges of the trench were the usual circle of APs - stern golden armor and oversized energy rifles pointed squarely at the mass of grey-robed duty workers in the trench, looking for any signs of slow work. Tigress and Karla walked to a laughing AP, who sported a red and black insignia of the Alliance on his chestplate - signifying seniority.

"TF-17," Tigress smoothly pronounced. "Reporting back for work after private meeting with team supervisor."

The AP promptly brought out a blue scanning device, motioning for Tigress to show her cheekbone. With a whizzing noise and flash of light, the device passed a sensor over the burned lettering in Tigress' cheekbone.

"Alright, access granted TF-17," the AP confirmed, handing Tigress her energy saw.

Tigress moved forward, but was stopped by another APs metallic hand - this man appeared to be more junior, with just the standard golden armor.

"You trying to _screw_ your way to more privileges, TF-17?" the younger, shorter AP asked.

Tigress merely kept silent - a well-conditioned, perfect response whenever something like this happened. Karla alongside her was similarly quiet.

"Let it go, soldier," the senior AP emphasized.

"I've seen this furry _bitch_ work," the younger AP noted, grabbing Tigress by the neck - holding his energy rifle near her throat. "You think you're doing _good work,_ TF-17?"

Tigress again kept quiet. Karla looked away. After a few seconds, the AP started to grin devilishly.

It was different.

Tigress had been warned of "that grin".

She had to be strong.

"You know, I've had friends in the force tell me how being with an _animal_ is compared to a human," the younger AP let out, smirking cruelly. "They say it's more - _passionate._ Intense…"

Tigress felt the AP's hand clasp her bottom, squeezing tightly.

"Lustful," the younger AP mused, eyes narrowing malevolently. "I dunno - maybe it's because your species is so primitive… I find that kinda _hot_ … I mean…"

It took all of Karla's strength to not make any motion or word. The younger AP pulled Tigress closer to himself, both hands on Tigress' bottom - moving his hands in rhythmic motion while his pelvis nudged forward, bumping Tigress repetitively.

"You look like a slut who wants it," the younger AP concluded, face hidden by his visor. "Maybe we should head back to the AP bunk… I got some friends who'd love to join in on the fun… "

Tigress kept quiet, but fear was shooting through her like wildfire. She had experienced various levels of the treatment before, but this was the first time it was progressing this far.

"That's enough," the senior AP finally stepped in, shoving his soldier away from Tigress. "TF-17 - go to the trench and complete your work."

Tigress merely nodded, but joy was filling her body. She breathed a massive sigh of relief, holding her energy saw closer to her chest and fatigues - almost protectively - while she tried her best to forget the experience she just had. Tigress walked past the senior AP, stopping at the edge of the trench - staring down at a large, dirty staircase that lead down to the crowd of duty workers toiling on the enormous, glowing energy crystal.

Tigress heard something behind her.

"Let me have this one at least," the junior AP's distinctive voice growled.

Tigress turned imperceptibly behind her. The senior AP watched his soldier fondle Karla, grabbing her chest and behind - shaking both lightly with a broad grin on his face.

"Keep it off the records," the senior AP emphasized. "You know if the Alliance catches us…"

"I'll keep her as quiet as possible," the young AP sneered, planting a kiss on Karla's completely blank face. "Come with me - let me introduce you to my friends."

Tigress' heart sank, watching Karla offer just the slightest reluctance as the young AP dragged her on a pathway leading to the AP bunker, both hands still aggressively fondling Karla's chest and behind. Tigress watched the lioness just quiver a bit, although the careless AP didn't catch this. Tigress didn't want to even _think_ on how Karla must have been feeling.

"Get to work, TF-17," the senior AP commanded.

Tigress nodded, turning away from the situation as quickly as possible. As she made her way down the staircase, about to join her fellow workers and machines laboring over the giant crystal - she tried her best to forget the experiences she had just witnessed.

Tigress couldn't mull over this. She just couldn't.

She had to survive.

Keep moving forward.

The one thing Karla had always told her to do.

Tigress reached the pit, quickly earning a few mild acknowledgements from the duty workers - but they kept working, offering greetings very briefly.

"TF-17!"

"Back from the depths of hell, I see…"

"How'd your meeting go?"

"TF-17! My main girl!"

"Well wishes to you, TF-17!"

Tigress ignored the crowd of animal voices, not bothering to respond. She quickly took an empty spot at the edge of the massive crystal, choosing to pair up work with Ceci.

Ceci was nice. Although she complained often and cracked jokes that would often get everyone in trouble - Tigress noted that the human still had her childish innocence with her, something Tigress had lost a long, _long_ time ago. Also, Ceci was the best person to send when the team needed to ask the APs for more equipment - humans often reacted more favorably to humans, even if there was a fundamental difference in status.

"Hey girl," Ceci cheerfully responded. "Wait - where's Karla?"

"Doing something," Tigress lied, choosing to start sawing as she began seeking to get those images out of her mind.

"Hmph, that old bitch never is around when we have lots of work to do," Ceci let out in irritation, resuming her usual sawing of the mineral in front of her. "I suppose years of being a good little kitty for the Alliance really gave her a lot…"

Again Tigress kept as quiet as possible.

"Anyway, I got something to give you," Ceci noted, pausing the work for a second. "Here."

Tigress kept sawing, but casually passed her gaze over to Ceci's clandestine hands.

What she saw shocked her.

Absolute horror.

Paper.

It felt so ancient.

And so illegal - by Alliance standards.

Tigress instinctively shot her gaze to the sky, noting that no observer drones were monitoring their activity closely. She also looked up outside the trench - to her comfort, the APs guarding this section of the work squad were busy laughing and talking to each other.

"Are you insane?" Tigress spat, pretending to use her saw again. "Put that shit away. You know papyrus is contraband."

"I got this from a friend who knows a friend who knows someone else," Ceci forced. "He specifically told me that _you_ have to see it."

"I don't want it," Tigress immediately cut across. "Throw it away."

Ceci growled, looking back at the paper. "My friend tells me it's from a - erm - bird duty worker."

"I don't care."

"Says his name's BM-193 - pre-Reformation name known as _Crane_. He said you'd know who it was."

The name shot through Tigress like an electric shock.

It felt overpowering.

Too much.

Too many memories.

So much suppressed moments.

She couldn't lose her composure now.

There were APs.

Murder drones.

Energy rifles.

Torture.

So many reasons to listen to what Karla had always told her.

 _Do what you're told. Keep your head down_.

Yet Tigress couldn't resist.

The name meant too much.

Too much of her emotion was winning.

She ripped the letter from Ceci's hands.

Tigress knew she had to act fast. There were drones who'd be surveying movement. The APs guarding would eventually stop laughing and chatting and go back to strictly observing their designated workers.

Her fingers trembled as she opened the letter.

A moment of pause.

Her heart beat faster.

She unfolded the scroll within - horrified to see thick red stains permeate the pages. Tigress was equally confused by the odd grammatical and spelling errors - uncharacteristic of the letter writer she had known.

 _Tigress,_

 _I don't knofw if this messcage will ever reacah you - but here's hoping it does._

 _I just want to start off by saying I haope that you're doing okaay and eating enough foood. I hope you are good and happee and safe._

 _I sasw Mornkey on a transport veswsel a feww days back. I twhink he's still alive. He was heading to that shithowle XN-4966 - I hope he deawls with it okay. We smilged at each other bdefore they shoveda him into the ship._

 _I've seen Po, Viper, Mantis, Shifu's nasmes listed as -ACTIVE- on the Inttergalactic Duty Worker Database the lasst time I chegcked (two monthws ago, I think) - SO i think they're still alive. You can maybe atry contacting them._

 _Tigress its soo good even to think about you and the life we used to have. It really keeps me going on long hhour days. I hope one day we'll see each other agaain. I'm on KR-5, but I dont know for how long._

 _Your friend,_

 _Crane_

 _P.S: My suspervisor found meg smuggaling actual food last week (got sick of that duty cocktail) so hge clippeed my right wing off - so plefase excuse any bloood stains and bad sppelling._

Tigress nearly broke herself in raw emotion.

It was a combination of factors.

The joy of seeing his name again. The joy of imagining a physical Crane writing this all down - maybe silently, secretively - risking everything in his life to get this message smuggled. The joy of realizing Crane was resourceful enough to somehow bribe whoever his senior AP was to get the message smuggled - all the way from KR-5 - that was in a different galaxy altogether!

And then the grief hit her.

The red stains. Imagining Crane's wing get clipped off. Imagining how skinny he possibly was now (even Tigress had lost considerable weight). Imagining the strain of flying for most of the day, without break… and now, with one wing.

Then Tigress read the rest of the Five's names. She read them over, lost in memories.

She read Shifu's name again.

 _Father_.

That concept seemed so out of place now.

Tigress read Po's name.

She sniffled.

It was too much.

She couldn't think about it anymore.

She had to remember where she was.

With an elegant stuffing of the letter into a pocket of her fatigues, Tigress made no other reactions or motions - simply turning her energy saw on and resumed the steady cutting away of mineral rock.

 **. . .**

It had been three years since Reformation.

"We shouldn't be doing this."

"Shut up."

Tigress felt the male tiger press her against the metal wall, nibbling on her lips while his muscular hands moved to her hips with gusto.

"Every time we do this Angel, I'm scared," Tigress breathed out, restricting her passions for a second to allow her mind to speak. "Scared a drone will detect our heat signatures. Scared an AP will come by and blow us to pieces. Scared - "

Angel silenced her with a furry paw, closing Tigress' mouth. "Look around us - I always take us somewhere safe - and I always have Karla think up a good cover story."

Tigress let Angel continue kissing her neck, but she examined her surroundings. Usually whenever her and Angel would escape away for one of their - _meetings_ \- there would always be an element of danger to it, yet she had to admit that Angel was extraordinarily careful. Karla usually would formulate some kind of excuse to the APs, or plainly bribe them with stockpiled energy crystals - which allowed Tigress and Angel to escape away, off the books - for at least five minutes at a time. The location had to be changed constantly - sometimes it was behind empty AP barracks, sometimes within the ruins of a destroyed Citadel, and sometimes Angel had been bold enough to lead her behind the supervisor's quarters - basically, any place where there was minimal guard and drone presence. The trick only worked once or twice a month though - which both intensified anticipation for their next "meeting" while also making sure that they had to make every minute count.

"Anyway, that's not the reason I wanted to get away this time," Angel finished, oddly removing himself from Tigress. "I wanted to do something different."

"You try something different _every_ time," Tigress noted sarcastically, mild smile forming. "Remember that time you tried incorporating a blunt energy drill? That was hilarious!"

Tigress let herself laugh genuinely for the first time in years, remembering that rather awkward five minutes.

"You didn't seem to complain…" Angel noted with an alluring smirk, kneeling down.

Tigress was taken aback by the tiger's kneeling position. "What are you doing?"

Angel gently smiled, bringing out a shining energy crystal from his paw. Yet the crystal looked different - a bit more shiny than usual, almost as it had been polished for days - and it took a while for Tigress to realize what was happening.

Tigress smacked the crystal roughly of his paws, firmly beginning the walk back to the mines.

"Tigress - wait!" Angel let out, surprised - scouring the rocky dirt for the crystal.

Tigress looked all around - nervous and anxious - hoping desperately that no AP or drone had heard her. The mines were about a quarter of a mile away from the location they were at now - the empty AP barracks - so she had enough time to comfortably get back into the trenches and act like nothing had happened.

Yet Angel roughly pulled her back, staring angrily into her eyes.

"What the hell was that?" the tiger growled.

"I'm saving you from doing something _stupid_ ," Tigress spat, annoyed. "Whaddya think will happen when an AP - sees a contraband crystal on me? And he figures out that we're - married?"

"Maybe congratulate us?" Angel smirked.

"Screw off."

"Listen, I've been thinking a lot about this," Angel reaffirmed, slightly taller frame just beginning to envelop Tigress. "You don't wear your crystal in public, we cut back on these little trips of ours, we - "

"I don't wanna hear it," Tigress countered angrily. "Leave me alone."

"You _never_ said no when I came to SD-77 a year ago!" Angel forced. "You were all for these little trips back then!"

"Because I was desperate!" Tigress cried, feeling tears slip out. "You know how it is to work all day - every day - and suddenly, a - a member of your own species…"

"A handsome one…" Angel quipped sarcastically.

"...just comes into your view?" Tigress finished. "Maybe it was - having my _desires_ suppressed, ignored for so long… I dunno…"

Angel stood back, somewhat affected. " _That's_ why you got with me? Because you just wanted a _friend with benefits_?"

Tigress nodded firmly, ignoring the section of her mind screaming that it was a lie. In truth, she had fallen for the tiger - she was attracted to his body language, his confidence, his sense of style (even in grey fatigues!), his kindness - and it didn't hurt that all the times she had escaped with him to some secret location… those five minutes were some of the best minutes of an otherwise joyless existence.

Angel ignored what Tigress noted, kneeling down again - extending the energy crystal. "I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

Tigress laughed, imagining what it would be like to propose to an emaciated tiger in loose grey fatigues, with dirt and soot running through her fur with so many scars and injuries various APs had given over the years.

"You must not know what _beautiful_ means," Tigress sighed ironically.

"I think I do," Angel forced, standing up to give Tigress the crystal - she hesitated, but accepted gently.

Tigress wrapped herself around Angel, old anxiety peaking again. "Oh what are we gonna do… oh… you know this doesn't mean anything official, right? You know duty workers usually can't get marr - "

"It doesn't have to be that official - I'm not looking for the Alliance to bless us," Angel remarked, smiling. "I just want it - our thing - to _mean_ something."

"What are we going to do after?"

Angel smiled. "They - they say that - the hardest working duty workers manage to get onto the resident planets…"

Tigress sighed. "Angel - both of us know that SD-77 hasn't sent a single duty worker to a resident planet in over two hundred years…"

"All the more reason to break that trend," Angel emphasized. "And once we're on a resident planet - we get communication privileges… so even if we end up assigned to different planets… we can find our way back - to each other."

Tigress sighed, admiring the energy crystal with a waning gaze. "It's a lot to hope for."

Angel grinned, nudging Tigress' nose with her own. "What else we got?"

Tigress sighed, although the happiness of the moment was overwhelming her otherwise rational senses.

"We'll get out of this hellhole together, don't worry," Angel firmly noted. "I promise."

Tigress felt Angel's lips mesh into hers, losing herself in the heat of the moment.

"Now come on," Angel remarked, pointing out the metallic wall of the AP barracks again. "We still have two minutes left."

"Hmph," Tigress groaned, moving with Angel excitedly back to the secretive wall. "You're usually finished in _one_ …"

"Let's see if I can't get _you_ done in thirty seconds," Angel countered gleefully.

Tigress grinned.

"You wish."

 **. . .**

It had been ten years since Reformation.

Tigress' negotiation skills were becoming legendary.

Due to her status as senior duty worker, she found herself at odds with a variety of people - not just hordes of duty workers, but also unstable APs, untrustworthy supervisors, Alliance inspectors, faulty drones, and a whole variety of flaws and instability on SD-77. Thus, the key to Tigress' abilities were her smooth, logical speech and powerful, captivating arguments. She always approached tense situations with an air of nonchalance and perfect poise - for instance, just last week a rather recently-arrived duty worker had complained of the long hours, saying that on CR-57 (the worker's previous planet, before it was destroyed in a supernova) - working hours were far lighter. This of course, completely ignored the fact that planets like CR-57 were by far the exception rather than the rule, governed by aging human supervisors more intent on collecting Alliance welfare payment rather than enforce strict regulation and work orders upon duty workers.

And as soon as an AP heard of this worker's complaint, he pointed his energy rifle at the terrified individual.

Until Tigress had stepped in, defusing the situation.

It was an oddly enjoyable role for her. Tigress always used the same strategy when dealing with any dysfunctional member of SD-77, although the approach differed depending on situation and context. The general principles were simple, something Karla often repeated to her - be calm, choose the path of least resistance, and admit fault. Part of Tigress' pride always had issue with the last bit, but this had been squashed out of her after tasting the end of the APs shock cannons more times than she would have liked.

There also seemed to be an odd respect growing around Tigress as well - perhaps it was in the extensive scarring in her body, which shone through rips in her aged grey fatigues - or perhaps it was the manner and poise which she carried herself, in simple elegance and dedicated persistence in work…

...or maybe it was just the fact that unlike most of the duty workers she had met, she had sleeping privileges.

Or was secretly enjoying a tense but hopeful relationship with Angel - her unofficial "husband" of seven years.

Whatever the reason, Tigress felt a sense of seniority that Karla explained was normal with extensive experience working under the Alliance - new duty workers often went to Tigress for advice, and emotional turmoil was first resolved by Tigress and Karla before anything else. Six months ago, when Tigress' longstanding human companion and fellow duty worker - Ceci - had mysteriously disappeared, the first one to implore everyone to move past the grief and get back to work was Tigress. Although APs had explained it as the human being relocated to another planet, the senior duty workers such as Tigress and Karla knew the truth - whenever there was a mysterious disappearance, the Alliance usually had an issue with a particular worker.

The issue was resolved permanently and silently - and Ceci was never to be seen again.

Tigress however, was typically unaffected and stone cold.

"I don't think I've ever seen you get angry," a nearby worker initiated, addressing Tigress at the head of the working group.

"Yeah, even down in this dump you haven't even said a word of protest," a jackal mentioned calmly, smiling at Tigress.

Today's work assignment was especially strenuous - with the sudden Alliance regulation change, duty workers were no longer allowed to operate heavy machinery such as the Tank-Driller and Energy Crane - both enormously useful vehicles for moving and crushing hard mineral, of which most of SD-77 was composed of. The regulation was poorly received on both ends - APs and supervisors now had to deal with thousands of energy crystals wasted in purchasing these expensive machines, while duty workers now had to deal with enormous labor inefficiencies. Crushing and extracting energy crystals from a three ton carbon boulder would usually take less than a day using the Tank-Driller - but now, workers were forced to mine with the crappy energy saws that were as usual - blunt and ineffective. Weeks had been wasted, and the economic productivity of SD-77 was far before Alliance goals for the planet. Yet, despite the horrible conditions - daily newsfeed streamed in on hologram panels set all of over SD-77 - all of the news boasted about how rich the Alliance planets were, how excellent life was becoming because of the Designators, and a final hymn towards the glory of "evolutionary purpose". It was an ideological assault in gigantic proportions, but more hurtfully the images that the workers saw, of Alliance planets - the buildings were carved out of exquisite nanocrystals that stretched into the sky, streets were paved with high-speed railing that exploded forthward across entire continents and megacities, a pleasant atmosphere with high oxygenation levels, every human citizen possessed a personal spaceship, a luxury of wealth and splendor…

...and the Alliance firmly believed that this was the "best-case" scenario possible via evolution. So, despite the duty workers' suffering (painted as "evolutionary sacrifice" in the newsfeeds) - the Alliance firmly believed it was a necessary evil in making sure the rest of the population was as happy as possible.

"These damn regulations," a sheep worker exclaimed, angry. "Always screwing us over… even my pre-Reformation planet at least had freakin' cranes, now they won't even let us have those…"

The crowd of workers, still cutting away at the surrounding rocky cave walls with energy saws, tried to shush the defiant sheep worker. Tigress was growing annoyed too - the sheep was sure to attract too much attention.

"I mean what the hell are we working for, right?" the sheep went on, brainlessly protesting in the cave. "All this shit all for a hope for some mildly less crappy _resident planet_ , while the rest of humanity gets stinkin' rich off our - "

"Be quiet, SM-244," Tigress called out, annoyed.

"TF-17."

Tigress stopped, uneasy.

That was definitely an AP's voice.

She could tell by its robotic coldness.

She turned back, scared to see two golden-armored APs suddenly stand at the center of the cave - distinctive devices on their hands shocking her.

Teleporters.

All duty workers knew that anytime an AP came by the mines with a teleporter - they didn't want the _teleportee_ to know where they were going.

And it drove fear into Tigress' heart.

"TF-17, step forward," the taller AP announced angrily.

Tigress reluctantly obeyed, swallowing. Her crowd of fellow workers continued the sawing, too terrified to do anything else. Tigress wished with all her might that Karla had been around - at least she could perhaps organize a bribe of some kind.

Even Angel. His calm, reassuring face would have helped her.

Tigress clasped onto the APs hands, feeling a spectacular sensation of light flood through her. She closed her eyes, feeling a zooming sensation.

Then nothing.

Nothing.

Darkness for a while.

For more time.

Then she felt her feet hit cold, metallic floor.

Tigress opened her eyes reluctantly.

The room she was in perfectly white. She had absolutely no reference to where she was - the room had no windows - and the two APs that had teleported her were not present. Tigress also noted that she was sitting down, unrestrained (at least for the time being) - sitting across a table that had one human, dressed in a blue and yellow carbon suit, at the other end.

Tigress observed the silent man make a few notes on his electronic panel. She read his holographic nametag.

 _Alliance Interrogator._

Fear shot through her.

Tigress had heard of these humans only a few times.

Each time, the stories about them scared her.

They always ended with the animal being interrogated…

Tigress forced that thought out of her head, adopting the neutral expression that had got her this far on SD-77.

"Speak only when spoken to," the interrogator announced. "Nod that you confirm this."

Tigress nodded slowly.

"State your name, age, and brief history," the interrogator followed up.

Tigress knew that the interrogator already researched this, but she had to follow protocol.

"TF-17, thirty-two years old," Tigress expressed in monotone. "My native planet was XN-44. We were reformed ten years ago."

The interrogator made a few swipes across his electronic panel. "Would you please recount your history on XN-44?"

Tigress was mildly surprised by the question. It also brought up a wave of painful memories, moments and thoughts that she tried to suppress and disengage with every time they came up - and to be honest, it had been so long since XN-44 that she…

"Answer not given in time," the interrogator announced. "Disciplining."

Tigress felt a red device break out from the table front and stab her in the paw, letting loose a fresh stream of blood.

"AGH!" Tigress let out weakly, not expecting the level of pain that was coming.

It was worse than the usual torture the APs often inflicted on her.

The device emitted a shocking pulse through the wound, effective cauterizing it yet causing immense pain.

And just as the device retreated, Tigress' paw healed back.

She was always amazed by the efficient torture methods the Alliance had designed - methods to make sure their "investment" was not significantly injured, yet experienced the maximal discomfort possible.

"I - I'm sorry," Tigress mumbled out.

"Worker speaking when not asked to speak," the interrogator spoke. "Disciplining again."

The red device repeated the stabbing motion into Tigress' paw, yet this time it expanded and emitted an even stronger current. Tigress wanted to scream - the pain was so intense - yet she just managed to bring herself back.

The red device cauterized and removed itself. Again the wound healed.

"Proceeding with interrogation - I'll read off your history then, if you can't remember," the interrogator concluded, looking at his electronic panel. "Female tiger species. You spent twenty-two years on XN-44."

Tigress merely nodded.

"Job title and location of living?" the interrogator asked.

This brought back several painful memories, but Tigress was compelled to respond as she eyed the red device blinking threateningly.

"I - I - I was a _kung fu_ master," Tigress noted, shocked to hear those words again for the first time in years. "I lived in erm - the continent of Asia-China, in uh - the Valley of - Peace."

Flooding thoughts and emotions.

Mostly sensations.

Early memories.

The Valley.

A Palace.

The Jade Palace.

The training grounds.

The wooden dummies.

The Dragon Scroll.

The Dragon Warrior.

Thick black hair - lost in flames.

Tigress snapped back to reality, shoving the images out of her head.

 _Not now._

 _Not now_.

The interrogator merely made more swipes on his keyboard. "Did you experience any radicalization upon your relocation to SD-77?"

Tigress shook her head.

The interrogator smiled. "Amusing, considering how you've carried over traditions from your native planet - traditions the Alliance has deemed illegal for duty workers."

Tigress tilted her head in surprise, although she chose to stay silent again - fearing the red device.

"Such as marriage," the interrogator confirmed.

Tigress panicked.

A raw, instinctive panic.

They couldn't possibly know.

They had kept it so low-key.

No one except Karla and Angel knew.

No one.

The interrogator pressed the red device into a panel of the table, getting up to walk over to Tigress - who recoiled in fear at what he may do.

"Answer, TF-17," the interrogator forced.

"I am not married," Tigress lied instantly, unwilling to even _think_ about giving up Angel.

 _CRACK._

Tigress was bludgeoned away by the interrogator's palm. She fell down onto the white, metallic ground - groaning.

"Enough lies, TF-17," the interrogator spat, grabbing Tigress by the head fur. "Don't make this worse for yourself."

Tigress struggled to keep her neutral expression, shaking.

"ANSWER!"

"I'm not married!" Tigress cried out desperately, earning another ferocious slap from the interrogator.

"Proceeding to stage 2," the interrogator noted on his panel, pinning Tigress down with a heavy foot.

He brought out a golden needle, spiked at the end.

He shoved it into Tigress' exposed knee.

"ARGH!" Tigress roared, pain so intense that she couldn't help herself. "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"

The device was clearly ripping out flesh in some manner. The knee joint was being systematically destroyed - the interrogator spun the needle around with a press of a button, watching Tigress scream and writhe in agony under his foot.

"TELL US!" the interrogator screamed, bringing out a strange, miniscule machine in his hand that Tigress didn't recognize.

"I - I - I'm not married…" Tigress begged, desperate to not get Angel involved as the needle broke away all of the joint bones in her knee.

The small machine in the interrogator's hand was dropped. It latched itself onto Tigress' chest, immediately pulsing with energy before another press of its button by the interrogator.

The device spun.

Tigress roared louder than she ever had.

The device was penetrating past her sternum.

"AGH! AHHHHH! AHHHHHH! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"

"TELL US WHO HE IS!" the interrogator screamed.

Tigress defiantly kept quiet, completely unwilling.

She couldn't.

Not to him.

Not after seven years.

She loved him.

She loved him enough - where the golden needle and device, and all the pain it was starting - didn't matter to her.

"What if I threw in relocation?" the interrogator motioned, smiling. "Relocation to a - _resident_ planet."

The words hit her like a brick wall.

After all this time?

Ten years.

And now - there was a chance?

The resident planet?

Tigress decided against it.

She couldn't reveal Angel.

She just couldn't.

"TELL ME HIS NAME!" the interrogator yelled.

The pain rode through Tigress like fire. She had never experienced such immense agony in her entire life.

"HIS NAME!"

It was all-consuming.

It was too much.

All she had to do…

"TELL. ME!"

She could escape.

She could be more free.

A resident planet.

"HIS NAME!"

"TM-91!"

A pause.

Tigress felt the pain go away.

Then shock.

Because she realized what she had just done.

Realized the choice she had made.

It was irreversible.

Tigress was suddenly brought to a sitting position, finding herself at the table again while the interrogator made another note on his electronic panel.

"TM-91…" the interrogator repeated, checking the panel. "Pre-Reformation name… Angel."

Something about the name made Tigress revolt inside.

No.

She couldn't.

She ignored her rational side.

Tigress dove at the human, grasping his carbon suit with desperation. "Please please please - I'll do anything… anything… please don't kill him… please don't kill him…"

"In exchange for providing us with this information," the interrogator noted out loud. "You have been granted relocation to resident planet XS-211. Turn in your fatigues and requests to your senior duty worker, LF-88 - Karla."

Tigress kept pleading, ignoring his words. "Please… please… I love him… I love him… I'll stay here forever, I don't want to go… please…"

The interrogator shoved Tigress off him, activating his own teleporter as he faded and burst into a beacon of light.

Then he was gone.

A moment of pause.

Then another flash of light.

Tigress opened her tear-filled eyes to see Karla standing in front of her, teleporter in her hand as well.

The lioness' face was depressed and understanding, almost as if she was expecting this to happen.

"TF-17," Karla started, saddened with a downcast gaze. "Please turn in your fatigues and - "

Tigress jumped forward, wrapping her arms around the older animal.

"I - I killed him…" Tigress let out, moaning. "I - I killed him…"

"Shush…" Karla tried, squeezing Tigress's back while resting her head on Tigress'. "Shush… you just did what anyone else would have done…"

"I - I killed him…" Tigress groaned, weeping profusely. "My h - husband of seven years… oh I loved him…"

"It's alright, it's alright," Karla noted, soothingly massaging Tigress' forehead. "What do we do - we keep moving forward, that's it… we keep moving forward…"

Tigress sniffled, voice wrought with emotion. "How - how did they even offer me the chance to go to a resident planet… I - I - they'd only allow it if - if…"

Tigress suddenly became logical for a second, mind jumping to conclusions.

The interrogator could have easily tortured the information out of Tigress in time.

He didn't need to offer the deal.

Tigress looked up at Karla, suspicion aroused. "You - you…"

Then it hit her.

Tigress gasped. "Karla…"

The lioness smiled. "All it took was me promising to be on SD-77 a little longer… in exchange for well - giving you a shot at getting out of his shithole."

Tigress wept even more strongly now, thick tears drenching Karla's fatigues. Now she had two things to mourn - Angel, who no doubt had zero clue on what was going to happen to him - and Karla's sacrifice.

She had always been fond of her - but this was a debt that couldn't be repaid.

Ten years of working together.

"You had your own - own plans to l - leave SD-77…" Tigress let out between sobs. "W - Why waste it on - on me?"

Karla smiled, hugging Tigress fondly. "You're - different than the rest. Despite going through all this - this Reformation bullshit - you haven't lost who you are."

Tigress weeped harder, everything hitting her all at once. "We - were going to get to a resident planet together… me and him… now…"

"I know Tigress," Karla softly whispered into her friend's ears. "I know…"

Karla never used Tigress' name before now.

So it meant something.

Tigress only sobbed harder.

 **. . .**

It had been twenty years since Reformation.

Although it often passed her mind multiple times, perhaps during her long walks that Tigress often took during her recreational time - life on XS-211 was so starkly different than SD-77 - the planet she had left ten years ago.

She still remembered the shock of landing on the resident planet. Most notably, her grey fatigues had been replaced with one of four standard clothes - a choice that Tigress actually got to make before her transport ship had even landed. Thus, sporting new blue attire which fit comfortably over her body - Tigress was exposed to the brilliant, wonderful joys of living on a resident planet - privileges that she perhaps had forgotten after spending so much time on SD-77. Even her name had been legally reverted - from TF-17 back to Tigress.

On XS-211, all residents worked only twelve hour days - essentially from dawn till dusk, with the remainder of time being purely reserved for recreational usage, although all activity was monitored by the planet's ever-present system of monitor drones which flew over all citizens' heads. Duty workers here still worked under the same hazardous conditions, albeit a bit lightened - there were less APs guarding the mines, and they were often less stringent with Alliance regulation. Mining by and large - was the only job that physically fit individuals could do, while very aged workers could settle for a typist's life, usually encoding messages that the supervisors wanted to send to Earth or some other Alliance planet.

Also, the scenery of XS-211 was miles better than SD-77. Although both paled in comparison to human-populated Alliance planets, XS-211 sported a dark brown sky which occasionally sent mild rain down - a sensation Tigress had nearly forgotten. The geography was also slightly more aesthetic - while there were no mountains, there were functional (albeit aged and deformed) metallic buildings all around. These weren't purely housing Citadels - there were small shops, recreational grocery stores, and even public parks that could all be utilized after the working hours were gone. In fact, there were even facilities such as schools and courts of law - a streaking semblance of civilization well beyond what SD-77 offered, which was just miles and miles of endless mining facilities overseen by the harshest APs and strictest supervisors in the galaxy. XS-211 had just beginnings of an actual society where lifeforms could live, with enough utilities to make it bearable. Sure, there was still the constant threat of violent AP brutality and enormous censorship and Alliance control over personal belongings and income…

Income.

Tigress was baffled by the concept, despite knowing fully well what it meant.

Living on a resident planet actually meant one could earn _income_.

It was tiny - estimated at less than one thousandth of the minimum wage on Alliance planets.

The income however, could be used for any recreational activity - Tigress had elected in particular, to save up a month's worth of wages to purchase a rather expensive book. The book detailed a brief history of the Alliance, the topology of the galaxies under the organization, and several fun facts about all the planets that had been "Reformed".

And although Tigress would never admit it publicly - what she was really searching for was any mentions of XN-44.

Her native planet.

She knew it was wrong.

She knew it was hurtful to hold onto a long foregone past.

Yet the feeling was still there.

What had happened?

It never left Tigress.

She had stockpiled the book in her humble, Alliance subsidized home: a simple brown metallic box with a number eight painted on the edges. Inside the home, there was one simple, albeit somewhat spacious room - it held Tigress' sleeping cot (which had taken _years_ to save up for), the book she had purchased, and a small electronic display that showed two channels: a news broadcast, and a "recreational" channel - mostly displaying random facts about Alliance history, human vs. animal physiological differences, and other ideological nonsense that Tigress didn't bother with.

Thus, Tigress had found herself with a lot more free time than she was accustomed too. Often times she would think back to her life on SD-77 - the stressful mining, Karla, Angel…

She always promptly stopped thinking, feeling too much emotion run through her. She had occasionally sent messages out, trying to gain a feeler for how Karla was doing on SD-77 - yet nothing had ever been delivered back.

Tigress chose not to think about Angel's fate. She had long since locked away the crystal he had given her all those years ago, locking it in a safe box within her house - determined to never be reminded of that phase of her life again.

Even more importantly, Tigress would have liked to get Karla's input on some things - she was, after all, doing the same role… managing her own mine.

Today, she was greeting freshly "reformed" duty workers - who were being brought to XS-211 only transitionally before being shipped off to an actual production planet.

Tigress watched the enormous metal ship settle down, displacing so much dust in the process. She was happy that today was a decent day to introduce newly reformed lifeforms to life under the Alliance - bright brown skies, and a relatively peaceful although heavily AP-guarded area, with numerous unassuming metal housing barracks all around. It was so different compared to when Tigress first arrived twenty years ago on SD-77 - she remembered the shock, the awe, and most importantly the fear that she had being in an unknown place, knowing so little about the civilization and so little about what was her life to come.

So Tigress felt a need to help the new workers settle down more easily.

The metal ship sprung open a panel, as hordes of refugees - clearly still scared from what Tigress had deduced to be their first space journey - stumble onto the hard, rocky ground in front of them. The small crowd - perhaps just fifty animal refugees - looked around rapidly, senses overwhelmed by all the things Tigress had been shocked by when she first was relocated.

"Got some Level 3s for ya, and some animals with no written designation," the ship captain noted to Tigress, enveloped in a golden black armor. "They'll stay for a few days then be shipped back to a production planet or - somewhere else."

"I asked for Level 4s," Tigress gently countered. "My energy mine is down twenty percent productivity because a _worker's strike_ just ended with an AP gunning down fifteen workers."

The ship captain merely growled, showing her an electronic panel. "Sign here."

Tigress did so with a sigh.

The captain marched back to his large metallic ship, opening a panel to climb in. The refugees watched him with great fear - gasping as the gigantic ship burst into light and soared past XS-211's brown atmosphere, disappearing.

The AP guards promptly shoved the refugees towards Tigress, who eyed them all sympathetically.

"I understand many of you may be going through - a lot, right now," Tigress started, remembering Karla's first words to her. "Don't be scared… just take it one step at a time. Your supervisors…"

Tigress pointed out some humans who stood at the edge of the AP guards, with specially designed badges on their armor.

"... will split you up into different groups," Tigress emphasized. "There, they'll teach you the ways of the Alliance and how to adapt."

Tigress motioned, as the supervisors began splitting up the groups of refugees. Tigress watched the APs do the same intimidation tactics - shoving people, tearing families away from one another - yet, she was hopeful that her words were at least partly assuaging to them…

… a sudden movement in the crowd.

Tigress narrowed her eyes.

It couldn't be.

Yet it was.

 _It's a lie_.

Tigress shook her head.

Yet it was still there.

It absolutely couldn't be.

A green tail.

The green tail of a snake.

With a bow.

Tigress shuddered.

It was impossible.

She ran forward suddenly, cutting through the dispersing crowd to catch up with the green snake with a bow that she had seen.

Two fangs.

A pink bow.

It couldn't be anyone else.

"Viper," Tigress slowly motioned, shaking. "Viper…"

The snake merely let her head go from side to side. Tigress noted that the snake's head was greatly injured - with multiple fractures and bleeding lacerations that hadn't been fixed, while the tail was disjointed and clearly broken in several places.

Yet it had to be her.

No other snake had the bow.

Tigress knew.

"Viper…" Tigress tried again, watching the supervisor drag the clearly unresponsive snake away from her.

Tigress narrowed her eyes.

Was that really _her?_

Could she even be alive after all this time?

Tigress wanted to check the hyperwebs - search the Intergalactic Duty Worker database - try to find evidence that the people she had known back on XN-44 - were still alive.

But she also feared finding out the opposite.

So she stayed away.

Ignorance was bliss.

Tigress liked to think that they had all found resident planets of their own - and were living in relative peace. Aside from the letter she had received from Crane nearly nineteen years ago - and today's incident - Tigress didn't remember finding out anything new about the Five, Shifu, or - Po.

Just thinking the names felt weird to her.

It had been so long.

"Um, excuse me…"

Tigress turned her attention back to the present, seeing a nervous young wolf struggle to say anything to her - clearly a refugee.

"I - I - " the young wolf started, scared. "I wanna see - see my friends back at the planet I was - um - taken from… do you know how I could - "

"Don't worry about your friends," Tigress quietly noted.

The wolf became saddened. "No - no - no I have to find them - I have to get back to them…"

Tigress held the young wolf's shoulders in her scarred, experienced paws. "Kid - trust me on this… let it go."

Tigress watched a supervisor call away the young wolf, who began to cry.

 **. . .**

It had been fifty-eight years since Reformation.

It was an oddly peaceful day on XS-211. AP presence in the city centers was unusually lightened today, because it was the annual commemoration of the Alliance's birth. Conversely, the Alliance for Galactic Evolution was formed under quite unusual circumstances - tens of millions of years ago on this very day, Earth had been destroyed by a burgeoning human population that sought to expand their control over the cosmos. Suddenly lost without a host planet, the human race was forced to seek alternative planets and resources to fuel their exploding populations - and in colonization of fifty-seven galaxies, countless solar systems, and subjugation of innumerable lifeforms - A.G.E truly became the most powerful governing body under intergalactic law. Everyone celebrated this day every year - duty workers, those living on resident planets, and of course - humans living on Alliance planets. It was the one day every year where no conflict was to be had, and no mining work was to be done - it essentially served as an intergalactic holiday, with only minimal AP presence peppered through the cosmos to retain a general sense of peace and order.

Today, nestled in the capital of XS-211's enormous, rocky surface - a hustling population of free animals and low-status humans freely mingled and shared food, drink, and shopped together. While the shopping of XS-211 left much to be desired (with tawdry, beaten down store fronts and demented alleyways perforating the entire area) - the reduced AP and drone presence was appreciated, naturally taking the stress off the duty workers' faces. Alliance Day - as if the organization hadn't run out of things to call themselves - was the one day, the one night where everyone could simply live in peace.

Under the mild brown sky, with beams of light wafting down to the mineral ground - two animal children played "Crystal Ball". The premise of the game, invented by duty workers, was essentially to throw an energy crystal back and forth until it shattered - and the first person to give a "faulty" throw was eliminated. The last one standing was named the "Crystal King" - an unusually dramatic title for such a simple game.

These particular animal children had elected to move away from the hustle and bustle and crowded metallic infrastructure of XS-211's capital city, choosing to play in the quiet, dark, damp suburbs nearby. Here, there was just enough skylight to see the crystal being thrown - the backdrop was the magnificently shining city five miles away, while the current environment consisted of a small shantytown, with a few houses positioned mildly on rocky ground. The animal children tossed the crystal back and forth in their grey and blue fatigues, joyfully running down the squalid streets - clearly not knowing anything better than the horrid conditions they lived in.

"You dropped it, ooh!" a small, female sheep let out, watching the crystal tumble out of a pig's hoof and collapse onto the ground and shatter.

"Nuh uh," the young male piglet retaliated, picking up the largest shard. "Best five out of nine!"

The sheep smirked, holding her hooves together. The piglet tossed the shard as hard as he could - watching her miss it, and finally watched the crystal fly into an open window of a nearby metallic brown home.

"Idiot!" the sheep exclaimed, looking at the small brown home with anger. "You threw it into someone's house!"

The piglet walked closer to the brown home, seeing the number _eight_ painted onto the front wall.

The door was clearly open.

"I'm going to go get it back," the piglet renounced.

"Be careful!" the sheep called out, watching her friend walk into the house unfazed.

She waited for a while, idly kicking around dust.

Then noise.

Then a movement.

"Al come here!"

The sheep grew alarmed, hearing the noise coming excitedly from inside the house.

"No!" she sounded back. "Bring the crystal back!"

"Get in here!"

The sheep groaned, wondering what stupid things her friend was doing this time. She reluctantly traversed the narrow path forward, a bit surprised at how well-kept the exterior walls of the house was - most houses on XS-211 were poorly-maintained, but whoever lived in this house clearly took care of it.

The sheep walked through the open door, feeling a cloud of dust start hitting her.

"Al you've gotta check this lady out!" the piglet squealed from within the center of the one room of the house.

The female sheep named Al surveyed the house quickly. Like all homes on XS-211 - it wasn't much, but she could sense that the owner was quite old, sheerly due to the amount of memorabilia and amount of _stuff_ that was here. Books, clearly preserved for antique purposes, were held on a metal shelf positioned on the left wall - while the right wall bore a small electronic panel that had the same two channels everyone else had.

However, the most interesting information was in front of Al - she saw her piglet friend first, but he was sitting down - and sitting above him, on a cot - was the old lady.

And she was quite old - but fit. Al saw a female tiger sitting in the cot - much taller than both herself and her piglet friend - and she had to be well into senior age. Dark wrinkles ran through the tiger's orange and white but faded, thinning fur, and she was wearing a mild blue robe that appeared aged and used. Al noted that there was a heavy bandage around tiger's right knee, and a primitive walking staff fashioned out of scrap metal laying by the cot's side. The aged female tiger sat with a relaxed nonchalance, gentle smile betraying a particularly focused set of orange eyes - glimmer just starting to dim with old age.

"This lady's _so_ cool," the piglet friend noted immediately. "Did you know she called me _handsome_?"

"Well, you _are_ handsome Brog," the old female tiger noted with a disarming wink. "Quite a handsome boy…"

Brog the piglet grew giddy with the compliments. "Her name's Tigress."

Al approached the old tiger with a smile. "Hi erm - Ms. Tigress. Sorry about throwing our crystal through your window…"

Tigress smiled, bringing out the crystal in question with a thin but firm paw. "Oh - this thing?"

She tossed the crystal into the air, elegantly catching it in her other paw with perfect balance.

"When I was younger, me and a friend used to play this game," Tigress mused, lost in memories.

Al sat down, intrigued by the mystery of this old tiger. "Was it a he or a she?"

Tigress smiled, crow's feet turning up at the edges of aged eyes. "A _she_. Friend named Karla…"

"She sounds cool," Brog let out.

Tigress smiled. "Not as cool as _you_ , little one…"

Brog smiled, definitely fishing for the flattery.

"Where is she now?" Al asked.

Tigress held the thought in her head. "I - It's been a while since I've seen her. She's on a different planet, I think."

This was true. The last physical contact she got from Karla was a few years ago - to Tigress' great happiness, the now aged lioness did manage to eventually relocate outside of SD-77, to a comparably much better planet called KA-11. Karla had called in a favor from an old AP she used to know, allowing her passage into XS-211 for a few days - enough to catch up with Tigress, and discuss all the crazy events that had gone on in their lives since the latter had left SD-77 nearly fifty years ago.

Karla had a husband - a happily and legally married one at that - for about five years.

After relocation to KA-11, they had two children - both girls.

Tigress smirked, remembering Karla's insistence to find Tigress someone to _lie in bed_ with - yet she had turned down all of the lioness' opportunities. Most of the reason was that it would be very odd for Tigress - who was pushing eighty years of age, with a bad knee and walking cane - to suddenly start looking for males to "hook up" with. Another reason - one that Karla didn't even dare bring up - was Tigress' previous relationship on SD-77 which, although Tigress had made peace with it - still found uncomfortable to talk about.

After that meeting with Karla, Tigress was enormously grateful to get an update message a few months back - mainly just to touch base and to crack a few jokes. The minimal contact didn't bother Tigress - in this kind of universe, having any kind of connection last beyond infancy was a pure feat, and as such - each friendly interaction was to be treasured.

"Why're you living all alone out here?" Brog interrupted, noticing Tigress fade away mentally.

"Yeah," Al emphasized. "Don't you get bored? Were you married?"

Tigress chose to answer the easier question first. "Well - I may be old but - the Alliance could always use some good typists! I transcribe messages - usually AP cyberstuff, nothing too important."

This was also true. She had given up mining nearly twenty years ago, when the accumulation of AP-inflicted injuries and natural old age set in, making physical work an impossibility for Tigress. Still, being useless to the Alliance was usually followed by a private execution, so Tigress had managed to secure a humble transcriber's duties to live out the rest of her days in her own semblance of peace.

"How'd you mess up your knee?" Brog queried, poking at Tigress' bandaged knee cap.

Tigress merely smiled, definitely choosing to lie. "Workplace accident."

"Is that before or after you - well - did you get married?" Al jutted in again. "Sorry - I just love romantic stories!"

"Oh here she goes again…" Brog groaned.

Tigress smiled, shaking her head in amusement. "I - I did. Seven years."

The gravity in her tone seemed to ward off further inquiry from Brog and Al. Interestingly, the female sheep child walked closer to Tigress, admiring her features with an intense interest.

"Oh come on," Tigress let out, smiling. "I can't be _that_ old."

Al giggled. "No it's just - you look like you might be one of those - people who know about everything before um - _Reformation_."

Tigress blinked slowly.

"Did - do you remember how it was - before _Reformation_?" Al questioned.

Brog chimed in. "Yeah - my dad says he came to XS-211 after working in a different, super bad planet for a while - but even before that, he says humans came to his _native_ planet and well - took him."

Tigress kept silent, lost in a sea of memories.

The truth was that she didn't even know how to broach the subject to these children.

How could she?

How could she convey everything that she had experienced?

How could she mention what it felt like to get on that first ship?

To listen to Omega give that huge speech?

It was so long ago.

Did she even remember?

"I tell you what," Tigress avoided. "You guys come back tomorrow, after I finish my nap - and I'll tell you."

"Cool!"

"Super cool!"

Tigress casually threw the crystal towards Brog, who caught it effortlessly. The piglet ran outside the home swiftly, letting loose a whirlwind of dust and thick light shining in through the open door.

"Nice to meet you, Al," Tigress stated kindly.

"Oh that's not what my name is," Al noted with a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Brog just calls me that because he likes to annoy me."

"Oh," Tigress restated, surprised. "What's your real name?"

Al merely grinned sheepishly. "Alph."

The phonetics of the word brought a sudden shudder to Tigress.

It sounded so similar.

Tigress shook it off.

That was _too_ ancient a feeling.

One she hadn't felt in a long - _long_ time.

She had worked so hard to push those images out of her head.

"Are you okay? Something wrong?" Alph questioned, noting Tigress' lost expression.

"Nothing," Tigress promptly answered, clearing her throat. "You just - reminded me of someone I used to know."

Alph brightened up. "Oh - who?"

Tigress sighed. "He - he had your name. At least - it sounded similar."

"Oh," Alph remarked, pursing her lips. "Well - was he nice?"

Tigress closed her eyes, voice wrought with emotion.

"Yeah - yeah, he was nice."

Alph smiled. "Well - I think you're pretty darn nice yourself, Ms. Tigress."

Tigress smiled, aged features just shivering a bit. "Thanks - _Alph_."

Just saying the name brought back so much.

Tigress watched the sheep skip away and outside of her home. She turned back and lied down on the cot, feeling her aged muscles and bones just sink gently into the cloth contraption. Tigress listened to the sounds of laughter and the children playing outside, though it didn't distract her from focusing on the name - the one name that no matter how hard she tried to forget in the fifty-eight years since seeing him - it never truly left her.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Wow… Um… yeah…_

 _I really wanted to fill in the gap since KFP 3. I also wanted to drastically depart the series from kung fu animals to the kind of futuristic, dystopia feel I've given it now. To do this, I wanted to take the reader on a journey with Tigress - a 58 year journey that starts from the very beginning of when Reformation happened, to the current situation.  
_

 _There are many cool things to work with now, along with being unrestricted of KFP canon. (eg: I don't have to follow any storylines anymore… I can just write my own thing now!)_

 _-The role of kung fu in a hypermodernized world?_

 _Don't worry. Kung Fu is still very much important in this fic - and you might see a lot of connections that you might not have seen before. But since this is the first chapter of a new arc, I've gotta build that up slowly..._

 _-What the hell happened to the Furious Five and Master Shifu?_

 _As you can see, our heroes aren't doing so hot and Tigress in particular hasn't seen most of the Five or Shifu for well over fifty years (she's old now too!) - aside from the letter from Crane she got way back and possibly seeing Viper about forty years ago_

 _-What the hell has the world come to?_

 _So here's the basic social hierarchy:_

 _*Top-level, Ruling Class: Designators: these are the guys who select people and different species to do what they're supposedly the evolutionarily the "best" at. E.g: Tigress is good at moving heavy stuff, so she moves that… Crane can fly, so he might deliver messages, etc…_

 _*Lower-Level, Everyone Else: APs/Duty Workers. These are people who are sort of "born" into their roles in society - there's still lots of Seekers in this class, along with the animal species we've all come to know and love. Point is: Seekers can both be duty workers (read: slaves) as well as designators. Animals however, are pretty much all duty workers. APs are the military._

 _Basically the whole principle of this new society is that everyone is selected to be best suit for their role._

 _No choice._

 _You're born into your options._

 _Interesting note, I took a LOT of inspiration from the news and images I've read about prison camps around the world (note: read up on these only if you're of a mature age) - and for those who know what those are, I'd like to take the time to urge everyone to do whatever they can today to end these brutal and blatant violation of human rights._

 _-What the hell happened to the rest of the entire cast? (Tai Lung, Shen, Kai, Zhong, Yu, Soo Lin, Alpha, Omega, Wang, the Soothsayer, the Valley citizens, etc etc.)_

 _;)_

 _Don't worry._

 _Things will be revealed in time._

 _Basically all I'm tryna say is - stick with the bumps and jolts in the road. I haven't forgotten about any of the characters or storylines from KFP 1-3. The only thing this series is now undergoing is a transition - from a Kung Fu Panda timeline to a Kung Fu Seeker timeline? Does that even make sense? heh._

 _That's all._

 _I promise. :D_

 _And um - stay in for the ride. It'll be long, but I can GUARANTEE you'll enjoy it. THE BAD GUYS DO NOT WIN IN THIS FIC…. I REPEAT…._

 _THE BAD GUYS_

 _DO NOT_

 _WIN._

 _Don't worry. Injecting some sad drama into something doesn't mean I will ever write a bad guys win ending._

 _You gotta fall hard before you get up, right?_

 _Kk im gonna stop before i start spoiling._

 _Support is incredulous._

 _~TW_

 _P.S: Again, don't assume anything - got a lot planned, hehe. Also feel free to contact me if anything's confusing, I know I just pulled a super AU move, lol.  
_


	52. WWS: 2

**A/N:** ** _It was an absolute treat reading everyone's feedback to the last chapter XD I mean I knew it was a crazy idea, and I understood it would certainly get a "interesting" response - but you guys really made my day. (yes, even the flat-out angry PMs I got from some of you, lmao) If it makes it any better, I still plan to write stuff "good" at least... I'll try my best not to bore you, let's put it that way. :)_**

 ** _But here were my personal favorites:_**

 ** _"Do you snort acid"_**

 ** _"Are you okay?"_**

 ** _"Dude this is crazy"_**

 ** _One PM legit offered me a phone number to my local mental health clinic, noting the child sucked into vacuum scene. I'm SERIOUS. XD Shoutout to dj381, no I don't need a consultation bro XD  
_**

 ** _Anyways, enjoy the chapter, lol._**

* * *

 ** _2_**

" **Something New"**

* * *

MN-1 was, for all intents and purposes, a very strategically important planet for the Alliance.

Although it barely classified as one - MN-1 was less than a quarter of the size of Earth's ancient moon (long since converted into a tourist planet), so it could contain only one large outpost dedicated for the Alliance. The real reason that the outpost was useful, despite its crippled size and isolated area in the fringes of the Orion Hypernebula, was that the single Citadel erected on MN-1 doubled as the central communication hub for all Alliance networks. Laying seemingly randomly on MN-1's dusty, calcified rock surface, hidden by the lack of light or nearby stars - was a single, simple Citadel. The cylindrical metal building, extending into the black, magnetically protected atmosphere - benefited from its location. The Alliance took great precaution to hide the location of its intergalactic communication hub, enforce triple-heavy AP patrols throughout the galaxy it was located in, and keep geographic information very brief and non-disclosing. Only the highest ranking APs and the Designators knew about MN-1's existence, and role in all of the Alliance's communication network - to feed the propaganda machine dedicated to suppressing and manipulating the Alliance population's views.

So it came as a large surprise for the sole attendee in the Citadel's topmost floor, who was shocked to see two APs thrown casually into his lab.

"Security!" the human scientist protested, pressing a button near him. "Security! Security!"

The man, tall and broad-shouldered, who entered the lab was dressed in pitch-black armor with golden streaks. He observed the Communication Hub, a bit let down from all the hype of chasing and investigating the secretive location for so long. It was the usual assortment of titanium walling, scattered lab equipment, and of course the panic button behind the reinforced glass table. The one difference from the labs he had raided previously, and the reason why he had spent months tracking down MN-1's location - were the glittering series of electronic panels behind the scientist, still anxiously pressing the button to no avail, bulbous and pale face stressing itself red in a thin lab coat.

"I need you to deliver a message," the man growled, distinctly human but enormous voice paralyzing the scientist in fear.

"Security!" the scientist called out, giving up on the button. "Security!"

The two APs lay on the floor, motionless. The metallic doors to the lab were shoved open, yet no one was coming to the scientist's aid.

"Secu - " the scientist attempted again, cut off as the man grabbed the scientist's neck.

"Unlock the control panels for the Hub," the man commanded.

"Under Alliance regulation, no persons or animal shall be allowed to modify the Alliance control panels," the scientist squeaked out, fat face reddening. "Only Designators and an authorized scien - ARGH!"

The man threw the squealing scientist away, making him collide into a nearby lighted panel, cracking it in two.

"I'm sorry…" the scientist let out in fear, watching the cruel, armored man bend down. "I simply can't…"

"Look at this graphene plating," the man growled, extending a thin blade from his forearm. "Do you _really_ want to see this go up one of _your…_ bodily areas?"

The scientist merely shivered. "You - you wouldn't…"

The man smiled underneath his closed visor. "Try me."

This seemed enough to terrify the scientist into submission. Reluctantly, he forced his palm behind him to interface with a glass panel - after it detected his handprint, the panel authorized a small device to eject out of an open metal pocket. The device had a smooth fabric wrapped around it, and a lighted panel tapering the end.

A booming, robotic voice came from the lab's artificial intelligence equipment.

 **\- INTERGALACTIC BROADCAST AUTHORIZED -**

The man roughly grabbed the device, holding it close to his visor.

"Wait!" the scientist squealed again, extending an old hand in fear. "Whatever you say into the recorder - that'll be broadcasted to every display in the fifty-seven galaxies! The Alliance will send an _army_ after you!"

The man kept silent.

"You - you'll start chaos!" the scientist begged. "No one's delivered an unauthorized message before! There'll be - massive _consequences!"_

The man chuckled, thick bass tones sounding unamused. "I'm counting on it."

The scientist was shocked by the courage of this madman.

"Attention, citizens of this - _wondrous_ Alliance," the man spoke sarcastically into the recorder. "Everything you have been told - is a lie. Your wealth has been made by breaking the backs of innumerable duty workers enslaved across the fifty-seven galaxies, and I am here to tell you…"

The man paused, savoring his words. "... we are going to change this empire. The Revolution is starting soon."

The scientist placed a hand over his mouth, shaking.

"As for the - corrupt elite who rule this pathetic excuse for an _Alliance_ ," the man growled. "The Designators, the APs - know that I'm coming… for _all_ of you. Be afraid."

The man smashed the recorder against the wall, crushing it into multiple pieces. The fearful scientist only watched in amazement as the armored man stood up, nodded at the scientist, then proceeded to make his way out of the lab.

"Wait!" the scientist called out, breathing heavily. "Wh - who are - you? A terrorist? A freedom fighter? You - you're _crazy_ , thinking you can take on the entire - Alliance… you'd need an _army_."

The armored man said nothing, continuing his walk out of the lab, although he eventually offered a response before disappearing the metal hallway.

"It's coming."

 **. . .**

 _CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TRANSCRIPTION_

 _DESIGNATION: X9C (SIGMA AP ONLY)_

 _MESSAGE:_

 _This message is to inform the Sigma Alliance Protector - the commander of armed forces in galaxy 32, designation X9C - with an updated list of requests for resources, from planet XS-211._

 _Request severity: moderate_

 _Types:_

 _Energy saws, nanocrystal reinforced (carbon fiber acceptable) (400x)_

 _Plasma rifles, auxiliary attachments preferable (176x)_

 _Duty Worker infusion, Level 3s preferred but Level 2s acceptable (183719x)_

 _Broader Food Groups_

"Wait - stop Tigress," the dark-robed human emphasized, pacing inside the small house. "You think that's going a little too far?"

Tigress sighed, stretching her back - they had spent about fifteen minutes just formulating this one, tiny message - and the time spent flicking and swiping at the holographic panel in Tigress' fingers were beginning to tire her. She glumly sat on her cot, wondering how exactly she had been persuaded to do this - on beautiful nights like tonight, with XS-211's brown sky just letting through a hazy but calm luminescence in her sleepy metal suburbia - Tigress would have enjoyed picking up her cane and taking a nice stroll through the shantytown. Instead, she was stuck inside her cozy but occasionally depressing home - typing a message which she was sure was unneeded, especially at this time of night. Tigress eyed the bookshelf to her right, her only other possession beside the Alliance subsidized holographic display to her left. She would have even been alright with picking up a nice book and reading, although she had lost her glasses a week ago which made distinguishing the tiny print near impossible as of late. The ever-present dust cloud in the house made finding the glasses even more implausible.

Perhaps she should add _glasses_ to the list of requests.

"Sorry," the young human understood, realizing he was wasting her time with a nervous chuckle in his soft, blonde-haired face. "It's just - it's my first time _requesting_ something as yanno - _Senior Duty Worker_ Han and all that…"

Tigress huffed. Although she didn't mind helping out Han, the young man's indecisiveness had cost her more time than she would have liked. Although it had been a long time since she had actually worked in the mines, Tigress understood the general process - work the required shift, get along with everyone, and if something broke - simply contact the supervisor to request something from Alliance supply headquarters. Unfortunately, Han's seniority meant that he had been inevitably been promoted to the supervisor position a few days ago, which stressed the man out - new requests came in every day, along with the usual hustle and drama of running a mine successfully - so he often came to Tigress for advice, given that she had been one of the most prolific mine managers before retiring.

"The food groups is a _bit_ much," Tigress emphasized, scratching at her chin. "Didn't we just get a new supply drop of duty cocktails three weeks ago?"

"Ah!" Han seemed to recognize. "Right right right - um, well scratch that, I guess…"

Tigress made a few swipes on her display, watching the offending text disappear.

"See this is why I come to you before I request _anything_ ," Han noted, smiling at Tigress.

"And I just thought you were coming to see my pretty face…" Tigress smirked.

"That too."

"Oh come on," Tigress rejected, shaking her head at the worn out, wrinkled, mildly scarred reflection that stared back at her from her holographic display. "I was joking…"

A beeping noise.

Tigress and Han turned their attention to the holographic, Alliance-subsidized display attached to a wall in the house.

A flurry of grey and black colors were flashing on the screen.

Then a harsh, unusual voice came - but with no visuals other than the grey and black nonsense.

 **I'm coming for all of you.**

 **The Revolution is coming.**

 **It's coming.**

Tigress waved her paw gently clockwise, activating the motion sensor to turn off the display. "Kids must be playing around on the local frequencies again…"

"Yeah," Han agreed, a bit unsettled by the strange, jarring voice. "Still, it's a relief to get a break from the same two channels we _normally_ get."

Tigress smiled. "So - you want me to send this, or not?"

Han took the panel from Tigress' paw, examining the glowing holographic text. He finished the message, adding his title and designation before performing a virtual signature with his fingers. After Tigress nodded, Han swiped upward - the message took a physical form as blue light, compressing into a cube of energy floating in the air.

Tigress took out a small device from her pocket, which resembled a circuit box. ""Holoscribe from planet XS-211, message is authorized."

The cube of energy dissipated.

"Well, that's that," Han concluded, smiling. "And now - anything I could do for you?"

Tigress groaned, feeling a knot in her back stubbornly refuse to go away - although she doubted Han could see discomfort underneath her wilting blue robes. "Yeah - do you ugh - mind getting me _that_? I'd like to go for a walk."

Tigress pointed out the cane, which was laying a few feet away from her feet on the floor. She could ordinarily somehow stretch and reach it, but the uncomfortable back situation was making every movement thrice as hard - a feat which seemed impossible given how difficult movement was at her age _without_ any physical disabilities.

"Here," Han gleefully handed the cane to Tigress' withered paw. "Anything else?"

"Nothing," Tigress cut short. "Go home and sleep, Han. Don't worry about the message so much."

Han seemed to take this as a positive. The baby-faced human began walking out of the small abode, pulling open the sole metal door to let in much-needed light to the house. Tigress already grew excited at just glimpsing the outside shantytown from the door opening - no kids, drones, APs, or other distractions were there.

A perfect night to take a stroll.

"Han," Tigress called out suddenly.

The man turned back at the door, confused. "What?"

"Don't second guess yourself so often," Tigress advised gently. "Running a mine means making tough, quick decisions. Go with your gut more often."

Han smiled, nodding as he finally exited the home and traipsed his way down the street leading back to the main city.

Tigress attempted to put pressure on her weak leg, but this was a gamble - the bandaged knee socket shivered and quaked, even with the cane somewhat stabilizing her frame. Tigress tried her best to shift all the weight to her other, better leg - this tactic worked a bit better, as it was now possible to stand up.

"Come on… come on…"

Tigress' arms shook from the effort, all weight resting on the cane and (relatively) strong leg. She ought to have been grateful - Tigress had tried this many times before, often with varying results - the cane helped get her past mild mornings, but there were certainly times were Tigress' atrophied muscle and frame forced her just to lay in the cot and stare at the ceiling. These were typically her worst days - horrible mornings which forced her to stay inside and merely re-read one of the books she had almost instinctively knew by memory now.

So today wasn't bad. Tigress marched gently forward, carefully placing weight as liberally as she could on the bad knee - just testing how it was feeling today.

Another beeping noise.

Tigress craned her neck a bit downward, seeing a device - her telecommunicator - attached to her waistband glimmer and buzz.

She groaned. Whenever this would happen - whatever she had planned was being delayed.

Tigress let some loose fingers stumble over the device, pulling the metal box up. She swiped with her thumb, seeing the holographic text project itself into air.

 **Tigress.**

 **Urgent.**

 **AP threatening to shut mines 44, 12, and 91 down.**

 **New guy - don't recognize him.**

 **Get this - he's a bigass lion.**

 **Yeah.**

 **Get over here.**

 **-Naja**

Tigress grumbled. Although the mines had been "shut down" many times before, it felt a bit unusual to have an AP come in (instead of an inspector) and start making threats - particularly one that was _animal_. Tigress couldn't even remember the last time she saw an animal AP on XS-211 (she had certainly never seen one on SD-77) - and she had been living here for close to fifty years.

Tigress simply made a few taps of her own on her device, seeing responsive holographic text similarly appear.

 **On my way.**

 **Weird.**

 **Make sure he doesn't break anything.**

 **-Tigress**

Tigress continued the march, displeased to once again be forced to sacrifice valuable personal time for mine-related nonsense.

 **. . .**

"Play it again."

"Sir, I don't think we can get any more - "

"Play it. Again."

The man sighed, doing as was demanded. He walked across the perfectly opaque, white-walled room - reaching the middle, where a small holographic panel levitated in the air. With a casual few swipes from the man's fingers, the panel expanded and a robotic voice started playing from the panel.

 **Attention citizens of this - wondrous Alliance.**

"Pause it," another man in the room argued.

He did so, sighing. This was the third time that the message had been played to the eight individuals in the completely white room (if he included himself). Three of them had dark yellow robes flow from shoulder to eclipse their feet, while the other five (like himself) were much more traditional - carbon armor, titanium alloys, nanotubes, etc. all in different colors. They all bunched around the device, sternness in everyone's faces - the armored men even had their visors lowered to get a better look at the panel.

"What do we have so far?" one of the robed men asked, voice smooth and simple. "Commander Omega?"

Omega - one of the armored individuals - sported fierce black hair and piercing eyes, with a dark, sinister look about him.

"The voice has the same frequency ranges of a male human," Omega concluded, swiping at a hologram on his forearm. "Judging by the bass register and deep breaths - he's a large one."

"That doesn't tell us much now, does it?" another of the robed men cut dismissively. "A.G.E has its' first _terrorist_ in eons and all we have to go on is - _he's a large man_?"

Omega snorted. It would have been tremendously helpful if they could access the security camera footage in the lab where the man had infiltrated - yet this had been disabled, and the data erased before Omega's APs could get there.

So all they had is a voice.

"Play the rest of it," the third robed man emphasized.

 **EVERYTHING YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD - IS A LIE.**

 **YOUR WEALTH HAS BEEN MADE BY…**

"Skip a bit," one of the robed men urged. "Just standard terrorist rhetoric…"

The armored man closest to the panel sighed, swiping ahead to fast-forward the message.

 **WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE THIS EMPIRE.**

 **THE REVOLUTION IS STARTING SOON.**

The recording ended dramatically.

"Gentlemen - it is our duty as _Designators_ …" the three robed men collected together in a small group. "... to make sure everyone in the Alliance obeys their _designated_ lifestyles - to the very last point."

The five armored men nodded.

"Yet we can't do that with a _terrorist_ spreading discord among the masses," the robed man finished. "And you say this was broadcast to _every_ panel in the fifty-seven galaxies, Commander Beta?"

One of the armored men - squat and stubbier than the rest - spoke with a relaxed but careful tone.

"This terrorist clearly targeted MN-1," Beta emphasized. "He wanted to reach as _many_ people as possible."

"How did this man even know about MN-1?" another robed man questioned, stroking his chin. "It's existence - leave alone location - is a secret held by _only_ the men in this room. And the galaxy and solar system is _well protected_! So many APs… all under Commander _Sigma_."

The sudden mention of his name drew the man to attention, as the rest of the group looked at him with disdain.

Sigma cleared his throat. "My guards told me the - terrorist used some type of energy manipulation that we - we haven't seen before. That he was an expert hand to hand combatant…"

"Bullshit, Sigma," one of the other armored men interrupted angrily. "We have energy warheads and cosmic annihilation machines that could clean out entire _galaxies_."

"Well, that's just the _thing_ , Commander Delta," Sigma retaliated. "This - terrorist isn't an army, or even a group - at least not yet. He appears to be making a lot of - symbolic threats against the Alliance."

"Which could very easily translate to _real_ threats," Delta retorted, snorting. "Imagine if this lunatic gets his hand over some _real firepower_ … we don't even know what plans he has for the empire… Gamma, what's the psych profile say?"

A thin but tall armored man nodded, accessing his own hologram on his forearm. "By his message and the mild emotion in his voice, this terrorist would likely be a disgruntled duty worker - perhaps a bit overzealous in his - hatred for the Alliance."

The robed men nodded, agreeing with this. This mysterious man appeared to be acting alone (at least for now), and had clearly major issues with the ideology of "evolution and lack of choice" that was so ingrained in the Alliance system - so it was very likely that the man came from a disenfranchised background, which seemed statistically to be a duty worker.

Sigma had his doubts. In the thousands of years he had been alive - he had _never_ seen even a _single_ duty worker rebel and gain enough power to even remotely pose a threat to the Alliance - this man had to be something else, someone off all the databases…

"Commander Omega, do you have a plan to combat this terrorist?" the robed men announced in unison.

Omega nodded. "I've already sent out AP patrols to MN-1s galaxy to gather more information. And - I've put all the squadrons in my galaxies on high alert for any suspicious activity - along with increased AP presence on all planetary bodies and drone force."

"I suggest you all - Commanders Sigma, Delta, Gamma, and Beta do the same," one of the robed Designators spoke, addressing the armored men. "The Alliance only functions on 100% obedience from _all_ of its subjects… we won't settle for any less… and neither will _E1_."

Sigma knew he was talking about the missing fourth Designator - the mysterious human being who only met with the other three Designators. He knew that somehow _E1_ exerted control - even over the other three Designators - but everything about the Alliance political hierarchy was so shadowy and subject to speculation that no one dared ask further. Already everyone operated on information in a vacuum - the three Designators only met with the most senior APs, and _E1_ would only meet with the other three Designators. This closed loop had never been broken - from the beginning of the Alliance many million years ago.

"Fascinating how this happened under _your_ watch, Sigma," Gamma emphasized, scratching his chin with fascination. "I wonder what psychological information _that_ fact yields…"

"It seems quite suspect," Delta chimed in, enormous and powerful frame shadowing slightly over Sigma's. "You got anything to say?"

Sigma watched Omega and Delta give him angry looks. Gamma and Beta were more curious, yet still introspective - the three Designators, as per usual - were completely unreadable.

"I just think the guy's got some good points," Sigma mentioned quietly. "Maybe - maybe this whole - _everyone does what they're evolved to do_ \- maybe that's wrong. Maybe - maybe we should give everyone more - more choice. I - "

"Do not say such idiocy in this room again," one of the Designators forced. "Commander Sigma - you are dismissed from this meeting. Go back to finding this terrorist."

Sigma sighed. "Yes sir."

The yellow-robed man turned to the rest of the AP Commanders.

"As for the rest of you - find this man as quickly as possible - and eliminate him."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Oooo hee hee… a resistance is starting…_

 _So the main thing is that somehow - someone started to incite a kind of rebellion against the Alliance. I took a lot of inspiration with how certain totalitarian/autocratic regimes suppressed resistance and controlled the mind of the people through media propaganda - this "terrorist" is just the first guy to break the mold and actually start something._

 _On Tigress' side, you can note that she's aged, retired from a long, brutal life of slave mining, and now is just a humble message transcriber for the Alliance. I wanted to show how ludicrous the idea of resistance is in people's heads - Tigress doesn't even take the message on the "tv" seriously… we can also assume she's made a decent amount of personal connections since then (it's been 58 years since she left the KFP world!) - all of that will be explored in time as well._

 _And don't worry - I haven't forgotten about ANY of our cast. :)_

 _A little more about the political hierarchy…_

 _So big woop, Omega is actually just an AP - he's not a Designator! Albeit, he shares equal standing with some other Commanders… Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Sigma, each supervising a portion of the 57 galaxies._

 _Beta's expertise is information. Gamma is analysis. Delta and Omega are aggressive. Sigma - as you probably noted - is the most sympathetic of the bunch._

 _Hehe._

 _Support is simply marvelous._

 _~TW_

 _P.S:_ _In case anyone hasn't realized - this is the final "arc" of this fic - so thus... about 18 chapters to go until this fic's COMPLETION!_


	53. WWS: 3

**3**

" **The Inescapable Past"**

* * *

Tigress gently walked inside the grand podium, a bit tired in general.

She was always hesitant to walk into the supervisor's office. Decades of interacting with humans and APs had given her the experience to know - that whoever was in the supervisor's office, even if it was Han - usually was not happy to see more people join them. Moreover, the supervisor's office was about a ten minute walk from the Central Mines of XS-211's capital city, which was already forty minutes away from Tigress' sleepy suburb. The walking cane made it more bearable, but Tigress still felt that she was being summoned for nothing.

 _Naja always overreacts to these things_ , Tigress thought. Although it was indeed concerning that an animal AP was coming and threatening to shut a few mines down - these kinds of threats happened frequently, and in Tigress' vast body of mining experience, there were many reasons why APs tried to bully around the duty workers in a mine - mostly, none of it would materialize. Mines were too important to the Alliance to shut down, even one of them - and as bigoted and discriminatory that the APs could be, they understood the vast importance of the duty workers' mining productivity.

Tigress felt the metallic doors seal behind her, as she took the time to see the supervisor's office.

Most of it was the same as the many times she had visited here. When she had relinquished the position approximately twenty years ago - when her body was no longer capable of strenuous mining anymore - Tigress' former office had undergone a number of changes. It was still a small, cramped space - just a bit larger than Tigress' home - but the metallic walls were given a fresh, green chrome-themed paint. Additionally, the flooring had been torn out and replaced with a more natural carbon fiber mesh, which Tigress appreciated - it fit more smoothly with her bad knee and cane. The overall amenities inside were still the same - the identical brown desk sitting at the back end of the room, and a small water and food storage freezer sitting behind it. Han was currently standing near the desk, black coat trembling due to the _other_ visitor inside the office.

An AP.

Tigress observed the AP's features quickly and carefully. He had broad shoulders and a massive frame - like most APs - but also his visor was carefully deployed and covered his face. Tigress wasn't sure whether this was the animal AP that Naja was talking about.

A small, light hand grabbed Tigress' shoulder.

" _That's_ the guy I messaged you about," a shorter, lean female human in grey fatigues squeaked out. "Please do something Tigress - you're like the oldest duty worker on XS-211, maybe you can…"

"I'll see what I can," Tigress promptly cut off. "Go back to the mines Naja - if an AP catches you here…"

Naja quickly bowed, trouncing out of the office as the metal doors sealed shut after her once again - isolating Tigress in the supervisor's office with the petrified Han, and the confident AP who kept his gaze on the young, blonde human.

"You babbling infant…" the AP growled, watching Han's blonde hair quiver in fear. "To think that _you_ are somehow in charge of this operation…"

"May I help you?" Tigress called out, slowly walking to the pair to clear her throat again. "Ahem - I'm Tigress, retired mine supervisor - if this is about our request list…"

"T - _Tigress_?" the AP let out at once, whipping about in confusion - although his golden armor covered his facial features and body. "No - it can't be."

The AP walked quickly to Tigress, making her uneasy. Even in her youth, taking an AP's punishment was sheer hell - Tigress' greatest fear was that with her current age, even a single use of force could lead to something catastrophic occurring - disabling her and potentially voiding her usefulness as a message transcriber. And - as everyone knew - once a duty worker could serve no more purpose for the Alliance, they were _disposed_ of.

Yet to her surprise, the AP merely receded his visor, exposing a distinctly animal face - confirming Tigress' suspicions.

The face was furry and hard-edged, clearly a well-experienced soldier. Blonde fur meshed with a brown and black mane - it was a lion, with sharp scars running from the edges of the top of his eyes to his chin. Deep-set blue eyes completed his bold look.

" _Tigress_ …" the AP repeated. "No - it can't really be you…"

Tigress raised an eyebrow in confusion. She tried her best to recognize the lion - to match her to anyone she had seen - but aside from a single person she had known long ago - far too long ago, in fact… the face reminded her of nothing.

"Sorry," Tigress croaked out, voice a bit hoarse. "Do I know you?"

"I barely even recognize you," the lion proclaimed in wonder. "You - you've gotten so old - and - and - I can't even believe you're still alive - after all this time…"

Tigress shook her head, trying to get to the point. "A worker told me you're trying to shut down a few mines?"

The lion took another moment to look at Tigress' face - clearly shocked that Tigress didn't recognize him. But after that moment had passed, he sadly turned his gaze downward in a downcast fashion.

"There's a terrorist cell, or organization, we're not really sure…" the lion mentioned. "... that's seeking to undermine the status of the Alliance."

Tigress nodded, rubbing at her tired eyes. "Yeah I heard the broadcast on my holo-display at home - you sure it's not some kid playing around on the local frequency?"

The lion shook his head. "No - this one's real. We have no idea how he's working, or what he's targeting - so every AP in the fifty-seven galaxies is on high alert."

Tigress nodded. "That means…"

"It means we'll be doing a lot of investigations on every planet in those fifty-seven galaxies," the lion noted. "Expect some shutdowns in your mines soon."

"They're not actually her mines…" Han chirped up, confidence gained now. "...they're actually mine now… see, she gave me authority…"

The lion scoffed at Han, turning back to Tigress. " _This_ is the guy you gave control to? That's not the Tigress I knew."

Tigress was beginning to get frustrated. "I dunno what the hell you're talking about."

She walked gently over to Han, urging him to keep quiet as she stared back at the huge AP.

"If the shutdowns are inevitable, then fine," Tigress acquiesced. "Just gimme - I mean, give _Han_ some time to relocate the workers somewhere else…"

"Granted," the AP noted, smiling before turning to walk out of the metallic doors leading out of the office. "It's - it's good to see you - Tigress. If circumstances were different, I'd talk more but…"

The lion turned his head down sadly. "... I'm not who I used to be anymore, either."

The AP walked out of the retracted metal doors, which shut firmly behind him.

"Who the hell was that?" Han asked to Tigress. "You recognize him?"

Tigress mulled over the question. "I thought I did. But - no - not really."

 **. . .**

AP headquarters - unlike the central communication hub, MN-1 - gave off the guise of public access. In theory, anyone (human or else) could contact any given AP and submit a request for communication with HQ - but in practicality, none of this was enforced.

It didn't help that the AP headquarters was located on Earth, the most heavily guarded Alliance planet of them all - and for good reason. Earth, or A-1, had been the longest-lasting, de facto "capital" of the intergalactic Alliance - and thus, it was a titan of commerce, finance, trade, business, scientific development, commercialization - basically everything else that the Alliance loved boasting about. The actual AP headquarters - the one building responsible for supreme supervision over one quadrillion AP soldiers located in the fifty-seven galaxies - was located on isolated, thick sheets of ice that had not been touched by industrialization or Alliance "reformation" initiatives - this sheet of ice was in fact, a historical remnant of "pre-Reformation" Earth - the last living piece of Earth that had remained since the _very_ early days, back when there were no space flight, teleportation, magnetic train systems, or any advanced commodities - just primitive cars, countries, and ancient Earth history.

The place formerly known as Antarctica.

And in this massive ice sheet, penetrating past the blue, cloudy skies and frigid temperatures - surrounded by a ginormous wall of snow and ice that offered natural shielding against unwanted intruders - a sole tower stuck out oddly against the barren, ice-filled wasteland around it. Go a bit further, and somehow get past the myriad of circulating drones, motion detectors, automatic energy arsenal, and laser defenses - and one might see a system of rooms inside the tall Citadel - each with a door with no label.

One of the rooms was currently occupied.

The room - informally referred to as the "Emergency Preparedness Chamber" - was quite simple, with a long table of chrome-plated carbon tabling, with hovering nano-chairs propping up the top hundred APs in the Alliance - Commanders Sigma, Delta, Omega, Gamma, and Beta always attended meetings, but there were also lesser known generals, a variety of top-ranking soldiers, and some diplomats meant to ease the process through. The ceiling was broad and was several stories tall, illuminating the grand but focused atmosphere of the room.

"Emergency Meeting 381," the man seated at the top of the table noted, making a click on his holographic panel. "Priority Level: Ultimate. Commander Omega?"

A powerful man - dressed in thickly golden armor like his contemporaries seated around him - rose from his nano chair and began speaking in methodical, organized tones. There was only one thing to differentiate himself (and his fellow Commanders) from the rest of the APs in the room - a single, circular symbol burned in black on his chest piece. The same symbol was shared by the four Commanders seated to either side of him.

Only the best APs could bear the symbol of the Alliance.

"Commander Omega speaking," Omega redundantly announced to the seated crowd of officials. "Our threat is an intergalactic terrorist who managed to seize and take control of MN-1 - then broadcast dangerous propaganda to every holo-panel working under the Alliance."

"We heard this story before, Commander Omega," a general noted, seated across the carbon fiber table from Omega's place. "What have you done since then?"

"Commanders Delta, Sigma, Gamma, and Beta have assisted me in organizing an intergalactic search for any preliminary leads," Omega noted. "Based on our psychological assessment - the terrorist would be a disgruntled duty worker, male, and larger than average."

Gamma rose up, checking his own holo panel for more information. "Based on interviewing the scientist on MN-1, it seems that the terrorist had a strong desire to _overthrow_ the Empire."

"He would be targeting Earth then," another soldier spoke, this time from the other end of the table. "I'm Chief of Communications on A-1. I need to know if I start mobilizing more defenses for Earth!"

Some agreement continued from the rest of Earth's generals, who applauded and sounded off their concurring voices.

Omega nodded. "Indeed - but - well, Commander Sigma - care to add more details?"

Sigma seemed tired - yet he stood up. "It is unlikely that the terrorist holds enough firepower to launch anything close to a full-scale assault on Earth."

"It's far likelier that the man got the message out in hopes of recruiting," Gamma added on. "Hoping to perhaps rely on general anti-Alliance sentiment prevalent among many duty workers…"

"Our searches haven't uncovered any evidence of a _network_ of terrorists," Sigma emphasized, checking his holo-panel. "We are also 89% done with checking the fifty-seven galaxies of interest."

This number seemed to comfort the rest of the table - 89% was a big number, and it also meant that it was unlikely that the terrorist had enough resources or manpower to utilize an assault. AP searches were notoriously thorough and pervasive.

"Due to the disconnected nature of Alliance Protector weaponry and spaceflight vehicles…" Omega continued. "The terrorist would not have easy access to acquiring energy rifles, warships, mass teleporters, or other advanced technology - save for what he's doing with the black market."

More nodding from around the table.

A rather aged AP - sitting at the far left corner of the rectangular table - sounded off immediately.

"What about the _Emancipation Or Nothing_ Party?" the aged AP asked, voice hoarse and armor slightly chipped.

Delta now stood up, smiling. "There isn't a _shred_ of evidence that the underground resistance movement - or _E.O.N_ \- as they stupidly call themselves - exist. All just rumors."

"I heard they've got at least a couple hundred thousand human soldiers," the senior AP countered. "Former APs who got disillusioned with the cause… and their animal base is growing, apparently."

"Such APs don't deserve to even _sniff_ the armor we wear," Delta aggressively fought back.

Omega placed a hand on Delta's shoulder, calming him down while turning to face the older man. "What my colleague is trying to say is that - _this_ particular terrorist seems to be acting alone."

"If we get any hard proof that he is collaborating with _E.O.N_ \- if it even exists…" Beta forced. "... then we shall tell you, and prosecute and _erase_ both parties from history. For now though - let's stick to what is confirmed, and _real_."

Sigma felt sick just hearing this.

All this talk about how despicable this terrorist was.

How malevolent this underground network was.

Could no one see the injustice of it all?

Sigma had always struggled with this. He came from a military family - his father was a high-ranking AP, his grandmother was a galaxy general, and all his brothers and sisters (even cousins!) had all become _designated_ to become Alliance Protectors. Yet Sigma had never felt the same drive - the same desire to punish and execute animals for rebelling in a society that had practically _forced_ them into an oppressed class - and then legitimized it by saying it was their _evolutionary purpose_?

Then why did Sigma agree with none of this - despite the fact that his _designation_ was to become an AP like the rest of his family?

All his life - he had been told that the Designators were never wrong.

That they decided what was _best_ for humanity and animals.

Why were they wrong with _him_ then?

"I said - can you please _mention_ reports on galactic protection measures?" Omega sounded off, interrupting Sigma's thoughts.

The man grew anxious. All this thinking about morality and the Alliance had made him drift off - Omega had clearly said something, which he had missed - and now the entire chamber had witnessed the fabled Commander Sigma doze off in a meeting.

"Apologies," Sigma robotically returned. "AP presence in danger areas - around MN-1 - have been multiplied tenfold, and general AP presence has been doubled, with powers to execute greatly increased."

Sigma merely read these things off his holo-panel - he had felt no desire for it, even when he was the one ordering these changes to be done - all for a "terrorist" who was clearly trying to alert people to the inhumane conditions duty workers lived under.

"Very well," Omega forced with a sigh. "Meeting dismissed."

The head scribe at the top of the table made a final note on his panel, and waved off the entire group. One by one, the generals, APs, officers, and the rest of the crowd began to stand up and disperse from the room - all heading in unison for the double metallic doors leading out of the chamber.

Omega watched the crowd slowly part and exit, nudging Delta. "Keep an eye on Sigma. He doesn't seem right in his head as of late."

Delta watched Commander Sigma walk quickly with the crowd, clearly hating being in the room so much that the second the meeting was dismissed - he rushed to the exiting doors.

"It's not just Sigma," Delta emphasized. "I've got my eye on some APs too who have been - _lacking_ \- in devotion to the Alliance."

"Really?" Omega mentioned. "Who?"

"None you would know," Delta countered, then looking at his holo panel for confirmation. "Well - maybe one guy - Senior Scout Andrew Henderson?"

Omega scoured his memories, trying to remember the name before tying name to face. "Ah - that guy. Yeah… I remember him. Kicked him off my primary team years ago."

"Was he trustworthy?"

Omega guffawed. "Not really. I did a standard reformation mission with him fifty-something years ago - on some shithole planet - XN-44… or something like that. Idiot sabotaged one of my APs, then tried to communicate with the planet's lifeforms to warn them."

"Heh," Delta smirked. "You saying that moron thought he could speak with those primitives?"

Omega shook his head. "I - I remember XN-44 having something special about it that made the Designators want to explore it further - something like finding a _human_ amongst the primitives."

"Hmm," Delta noted. "Interesting…"

"I can't remember the details," Omega finished. "It was a long time ago."

Delta narrowed his eyes. "Well still - I'll go through these suspect names and see what we can find."

Omega nodded.

 **. . .**

The Alliance planet A-9 was remarkable for many reasons.

Firstly, it's history was incredible. A-9 - or pre-Reformation name - _Pluto_ \- was one of the nine _ancient_ planets that were part of the original solar system in the original Milky Way Galaxy - part of the original group of planets before the Alliance had been formed. As such, much of the solar system was deeply rooted in space tourism and business transactions - Earth had its own, drastically superior level of extreme commercialization, but the surrounding _original_ planets had their own level of large tourism and commercialization. Six of the nine original planets had been lost in intergalactic wars, leaving just Earth, Pluto, and A-6 - pre-Reformation name Jupiter - as historical remnants of a pre-Alliance galaxy. Pluto still drew immense crowds of human beings from all over the fifty-seven galaxies - gigantic touring spaceships charging heavy fees for visitation to one of the "ancient" planets. As such, the activity around Pluto was always busy and upbeat - notably, the atmosphere was continuously surrounded with freshly-warping spaceships and heavy AP patrol vessels, dwarfing the already tiny blue planet in a practically extra layer of flashy metal.

Secondly, Pluto was at the end of the day - an Alliance planet. Comparing Alliance planets to either resident or production planets was like trying to compare skyscrapers to decrepit shanty towns - there simply was no comparison. If a duty worker were to somehow, miraculously break away from their supervisors and see what on an Alliance planet like Pluto looked like - they might be first shocked to see how pleasant and peaceful it looked, eons of atmosphere maintenance and rebuilding by drones had given Pluto an aqua blue tan. The pleasing color was reflected by light from the rebuilt _original_ Sun - the star associated with birthing Earth, and consequently - the human race. Penetrate past Pluto's atmosphere, and the duty worker would be truly shocked at the amount and quality of _life_ on the ground… Pluto's surface was covered in a perfectly aesthetic, calculated mixtures of advanced technology yet synthetic greenery. Although humanity had caused the extinction of all plant species millions of years ago, that didn't stop them from creating machinistic analogues that imitated their ancient plant predecessors - and thus, Pluto's surface was based upon by a seemingly infinite false grass prairie and flickering holograms of thousands of differing foliage - which were undercut by shining chrome hyperspeed trains, all of which lead to the small planet's only city. The city itself boasted the enormous technological advances that the Alliance loved taking credit for - citadels and skyscrapers that flashed and stretched into the upper troposphere, a network of perfectly managed drones which surveyed and continuously replenished the atmosphere with breathable elements, a small AP presence, and facilities and buildings that duty workers could only dream of: cyber-courts, holographic schools, vacation resorts, 100 star hotels, and such a display of multi-colored lights, almost perpetually - it was as close to a techno-paradise as the Alliance could create, and this atmosphere applied for _every_ Alliance planet. The only thing missing was its lack of residential homes, which were found on all other Alliance planets - but this made sense, given that Pluto was a "party planet" - a popular destination for drunk university graduates who had just bought spaceships with their parents' energy currency, intending to blow all of their crystal currency on one day/night of sheer hedonism. The only thing better was Earth itself, which was on a _completely_ different level of luxury.

Thirdly, Pluto's only city was currently undergoing a festival of sorts - which added even more to the decor of the planet.

The planetary mayor was getting inaugurated today, which - although in practice useless, since all decisions were made by Designators - was an old "Earth" tradition worthy of celebration. As such, the city was covered in glowing holographic banners and small aerial bots performed nice light shows in mid-air, hovering above the crowded population of perhaps four thousand humans dwelling in the City Center, taking the time to admire the enormous carbon skyscrapers and holographic panels to all sides of them. Drones constantly walked into the crowds, offering an endless replenishing of fancy drinks and cocktail glasses to the sandals and shorts crowd. The City Center had been modified a bit today - a large podium had been erected in the center, gentle sunlight bouncing off the sharp metal and onto the crowd in front of the podium - illuminating the lazy, drunk, yet peaceful faces of human beings who were clearly so deep into privileged luxury that they could care less what was happening - they were having the time of their lives. Adding to the freedom was the enormous subwoofers and speakers positioned to the podium's sides - blasting irreverent techno-pop synth to the entire crowd.

The mayor of course, had no intention of changing the mood. He stepped onto the podium, flanked by minimal APs - golden armor bouncing light off itself and onto the mayor's sharp dark robes.

"I would say I've gotta - a - a speech to make," the mayor declared, laughing at his holographic teleprompter situated in his palms - clearly drunk. "But I'll just say - WHAT HAPPENS IN PLUTO - ?!"

"STAYS IN PLUTO!" the crowd screamed back, dancing uselessly again before cheering and whooping with casualness.

The mayor paid no further attention to the din of the crowd, turning back to see a small red panda - incredibly aged and frail, balancing himself on a small wooden staff - cough out wheezes.

"I _thought_ I told you to get me another _drink_ , RP-18," the mayor growled, slapping the aged red panda with anger. "Don't think that just because you're my _pet_ that I won't hesitate to discipline you."

"Yes Master," the red panda squeaked out, aging bones and limbs too tired - but fear too great - so that he began scouring the crowd for a drone serving drinks.

"MAYOR STAHKO!"

The crowd stopped dancing.

An AP quickly shut off the speakers playing music.

The drones were quickly disabled.

Stahko approached the podium again, quickly encircled by his ten or so AP guards - not expecting the unusual voice.

Or the unusual figure.

The aged red panda watched the levitating figure - clearly using a jetpack - float in the air above the crowd and above the mayor. The APs pointed their rifles at the new arrival instinctively. The jetpack-ed man wore a distinctively golden black armor, with painted arrows on the sides - he wasn't an AP, but he clearly had enough arsenal to purchase his jetpack, a strange armor, and the confidence to face ten APs with zero fear.

"This is for the Revolution."

And the man threw something.

Before the APs could even fire their rifles, ten balls of pure energy - sparkling yet fiery like a black hole - zoomed from the man's throw, catching the APs in the neck to sear straight through the nanocrystallite armor.

The guards fell instantly, terrifying Mayor Stahko.

The crowd started screaming, delusion of partying lost and began running away from each other - heading for the hyperspeed trains outside the City Center.

The man got to Stahko in the blink of the red panda's eyes.

His visor was still down. Stahko begged and cried.

"Please please please…" Stahko urged, crying while falling off the podium. "I have money, I have crystals, I know people who can get you anything…"

"I always hated bureaucrats," the man coldly responded, throwing another energy ball…

...at the mayor's head.

It cleanly went inside, almost via absorbance - then the red panda was horrified to see his master's forehead expand and grow redder and redder, finally bursting in an explosion of flesh and carnage.

The red panda fell down in fear, aged body terrified.

The man floated closer to the small red panda, visor still down and unrelenting.

"There'll be more AP reinforcements soon," the man spoke clearly. "Shifu - it's important that you do this for me."

The red panda was horrified that the man knew his name. He shuddered inside.

"When they come, tell them that this is me declaring _war_ on the Alliance," the man forced. "Tell them to fix duty worker conditions and pay reparations in one month - or I hit _another_ planet."

Shifu nodded quickly and hastily, scared into submission. "Who - who are you?"

The man turned away, blasting off into the sky in a burst of glittering blue light.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Hehe… the plot thickens I see…_

 _So basically some more callbacks are revealed now. Wang is the AP Tigress was talking to - although she didn't realize it. And Shifu was there! Albeit a little scared by our mysterious freedom fighter, lol._

 _Here we also see that there are humans who oppose the Alliance - Sigma is an example of an AP uneasy with his position and the stuff that the Alliance does every day, while Omega and Delta keep him on watch - and Henderson! (you might remember him from the ending of KFP 3)_

 _Again, I want to promise that none of the Five or Po have died - it's just that because of the huge time-skip, I need to build up their new lives and introductions slowly… this'll happen with every new chapter… hehe._

 _So the fic continues._

 _Support is beastly._

 _~TW_


	54. WWS: 4

**4**

" **Debatable"**

* * *

It had been a long week.

After negotiating with Han over how to relocate the miners most efficiently to new mines, and making sure that all the technical and legal issues of shutting down a few mines was done - Naja and Tigress were both forced to deal with a new problem: annual surveys.

Annual surveys were a tedious legal measure employed against resident planets. Since production planets were essentially legalized slave colonies, there was little chance of these areas being under their specified production quota - set by stringent Alliance regulations. Energy crystal mining was an incredibly labor-heavy expense, and one that fuelled practically all of the Alliance's wealth and scientific development for the last few million years - which meant that without slave mining, the entire intergalactic civilization was liable to collapse. Hence, the Alliance took strict measures through heavy AP patrols, inhospitable working environments, and constant, punitive supervision to make sure that the production planets always met their targets.

Not so for resident planets.

Resident planets - like XS-211 - were subject to enhanced freedoms, albeit still paltry compared to Alliance planets. They were few in number but still essential to the energy mining business - but due to their lax regulations, supervisors often deliberately let miners underwork and underperform, leading to multiple years of below-target level crystal withdrawing. Miners still worked tremendously hard - twelve gruelling hours of hard labor, with the usual threat of AP brutality - but even this wasn't enough to meet the Alliance's ridiculous targets for crystal production.

Hence, the annual surveys.

The process was fairly simple. A supervisor - as well as a random miner - would be transported via spaceship to the nearest galactic mining headquarters. XS-211 was located in the quite famous Milky Way Galaxy, which had its mining headquarters on MX-1 - a distant planet approximately fifteen thousand light years from XS-211. Since only select individuals in the Alliance were allowed to perform teleportation - spaceships were compulsory, although their hyperspeed engines made these kinds of trips only a few days in length.

Han of course, being too cowardly to go to a mining HQ and report on his mines alone - designated Tigress to go instead - despite the fact that she had been retired for twenty years and now was nothing more than an Alliance transcriber. However, the mysterious lion AP had allowed this - noting that Tigress had an eye for detail, had been paying close attention to XS-211's mine network, and would likely explain XS-211's underperformance better than Han. Naja was the other random miner who was chosen to go alongside Tigress - something which delighted them both.

And so, Tigress sat in the lower deck of the spaceship in boredom. Unlike most spaceships, this transport vessel was quite miniscule and was acclimatized to only transporting about three or four inhabitants - one was obviously the ship captain, who was a silent, aged human who spoke almost nothing to Tigress when he picked her and Naja up - and who had immediately relegated them to the lower bunk of the ship while he went into the topmost captain's quarters.

Tigress yawned, definitely feeling that the ship was tiny. She had gone to do these surveys before, but this time the ship seemed even more cramped - just odd, rusting metal walls around them while herself and Naja sat strapped to a bench on the lower deck, with the closed captain's deck above them. The ceiling or partition between decks was so low that Tigress could stand up and touch it - although the captain had been kind enough to allow some food storage, where Naja had packed some authentic glucose cookies in a small bag. And aside from the rusted walls, the bench, the food bag, and the partition of the upper deck - one sole window offered Tigress a chance to glimpse at the rushing space outside.

"Don'tcha get bored just lookin' out the window?" the female human called in, yawning underneath a quaint brown blanket. "We've been stuck in this ship for fifteen hours and you haven't taken your eyes off of the window."

Tigress smiled, clearing her throat as she saw her wrinkled reflection stare back at her through the window - then resumed checking out the rushing space.

"Hyper lightspeed travel never loses its charm," Tigress noted, watching a cluster of nebulas fade into rapid obscurity beyond the window. "Yanno, I still get the same feeling I got when I had my first hyperspeed travel - way back when I was being moved from XN-44 to SD-77."

"What's that feeling?" Naja asked, yawning again.

"Awe," Tigress simply stated. "Surprise. The beauty of space…"

She saw another cluster of nebulas pass, even managed to see a distant star cluster shine brightly in cylindrical spurts of light.

"Space is like an _ocean_ of darkness," Tigress wondered out loud. "Then you have all those little shiny things you find…"

Another star formation zoomed by - so bright that Tigress thought they had just crossed a supernova's path.

"What's an _ocean_?" Naja questioned.

Tigress sighed. "Never mind…"

"You do that a lot," Naja retorted, winking. "You suddenly make all these references to all these _ancient_ things… oceans, plants, _dumplings_ …"

Tigress chuckled. "Sorry then."

Naja shook her head. "No I find it interesting! In fact, I - "

"I'm _not_ in the mood for telling you more stories about XN-44," Tigress cut across, irritated. "I've told you enough - my throat chronically hurts and my bad knee is really killing me."

"Yeah it's called getting old," Naja forced. "Deal with it. You can't tell me another single story?"

"No…"

Tigress groaned. She was fine with telling Naja all the stories about XN-44 - about the Valley, about China, about what she used to do back there - although parts of Tigress' memories were starting to dim with growing seniority… but she had carefully avoided even approaching the memories of the people she used to knew. The simple fact was that there were only so many stories that one could tell about the "grass", the "dumplings" and about "kung fu" - everything else dangerously grew closer to talking about the _people_ she used to know, which was - although Tigress had made peace with it long ago - not worth bringing up anymore.

"What about Karla?" Naja asked.

"Sheesh you sure do talk a lot," Tigress sighed. "You're the most talkative twenty-year old I know - what does it help you to keep annoying an old gal like me?"

"You always have good stories," Naja simply concluded with a wink. "Answer my question."

"Yes I spoke to her last month, alright?" Tigress noted. "And before you ask - yes, she's fine."

This was actually a lie. It was indeed true that Tigress had met up with Karla last month - actually by pure accident, seeing that they had both by coincidence made an emergency trip back to SD-77, as part of an Alliance initiative to introduce "model" duty workers like Tigress and Karla to new duty workers in production planets - but Karla was not indeed, fine.

The first thing Tigress had noted was that Karla seemed quite physically and mentally weary. Her normally fiery eyes were dim and complacent, while her fur sagged and appeared thinning. Tigress learnt from her that Karla's husband of six years had perished by old age, and her two children had been forcibly relocated to another planet due to an APs legal screw ups - and to top things off, Karla had recently been diagnosed with a malevolent blood cancer that was quite severe. For any ordinary human, this would have been solved by a simple visit to the doctor's office, where advanced cancer microbots had been designed for complete remission - but seeing that animals were forbidden from extensive medical care, Karla was just waiting out her moments to essentially - die. She had promised to continue contact with Tigress, telling her frankly that she was the "one good thing left going" in her life.

Tigress herself did the usual thing. Had a moment to grieve, a moment to tell Karla to accept it, and relax - and then continue on.

That was how life worked - especially under the Alliance.

Bad things were so commonplace that it was no point fighting them - rather, a submissive acceptance was best for one's own health.

Fifty-eight years of living under Alliance rule had taught her that.

"Sheesh you drone off so much…" Naja broke in. "I just asked you a bunch of questions and you kept staring at the ceiling… lost in thought or some shit…"

Tigress winked. "I _am_ eighty years old, you know…"

Naja smiled, taking her turn to look out the window and be lost in thought.

Tigress grinned. She was actually quite fond of Naja, for three reasons - one being that she was an exceptional miner, who often reminded Tigress of herself in her youth - all dedication and persistence, with no laziness or need of rest… while secondly, Naja was one of the growing populations that had been _born_ under Alliance rule - and thus knew nothing about their animal ancestors or how _Reformation_ was, or how life was before Reformation - which explained why she knew nothing about oceans, grass, or food and culture.

The final reason was quite a personal one, and one that Naja made Tigress swear not to tell anyone.

Naja was actually a hybrid - or at least, the daughter of a hybrid. Her mother was half human, half gorilla - and had managed to make a human AP fall in love with her - thus making Naja a quarter hybrid. Unfortunately, once Naja's mother was discovered to have been married to a human - and a high ranking AP, at that - both her parents had been promptly _erased._ Erased for the Alliance meant that a group of APs had come to Naja's home one day (she had lived on an Alliance planet previously) and imprisoned and "relocated" her parents to another "destination" - but everyone knew that was simply just private execution. Naja, only fourteen at the time, had spent much time crying - because not only were her parents gone, but the level of "crime" of being a hybrid had nearly caused Naja to be "relocated" too - before a quick crystal bribe of a local ship captain had persuaded him to smuggle her to XS-211, fake a death hologram citing Naja had perished through a suicide attempt - and begin a new life as GF-14. No one on her new planet even knew her real name was Naja, except for Tigress - who saw straight through her flimsy story and background the moment she had landed on XS-211.

And Naja had lived in stealth ever since. Being only one quarter hybrid, she could mask the usual characteristics of hybrid phenotypes; thicker hair, larger eyes and jaw, more slanting head - compared to pure humans... with clothing choices and regular trimming, but still - it always felt like a small gamble.

Footsteps.

Down a staircase.

Both Tigress and Naja snapped back to reality, focusing on the silver-armored, aged ship captain grumble as he walked down.

"AP blockade," the man breathed, voice drenched with alcohol. "Not safe. Rerouting."

With those few words, the captain sighed and went back up the staircase to his quarters, resuming control of the ship.

Naja nudged Tigress. "The hell does that mean?"

Tigress smiled. "Nothing serious. Just that APs have blocked off all ships going to a certain region… which means it might take a little longer to get to our survey planet."

"Sweet," Naja retorted happily. "Whatcha think the reason for the blockade is?"

Tigress mulled over this, trying to utilize all her years of experience under the Alliance. The most statistically likely conclusion was a rogue AP, followed by a failed workers' strike, and in the most unlikely of scenarios - an intergalactic conflict.

"Probably nothing," Tigress concluded, assuaging Naja.

"Better be…" Naja forced. "Hey Ti - look at this."

Tigress did as requested, looking out of the window.

She was surprised. An armored man was outside the window, blasting alongside the ship with a specialized thruster pack. Tigress was particularly intrigued by his armor - it was a bold red and black scheme, with distinctive arrows outlining the shoulders… he was neither AP nor duty worker, yet he had access to armor that could travel at hyperspeed…

His dark visor covered his face.

The man extended a palm, touching the outside of the window.

Almost instinctively, from an emotion that Tigress didn't understand yet - she reached out her hand as well.

"We - " a voice came, clearly the captain as he descended the staircase.

Then he saw the man outside the window.

Panic.

Visceral fear.

"OH MY - THE TERRORIST!" the captain roared, jumping up and down before running back to his quarters. "EVACUATING! EVACUATING! EVACUATING!"

Tigress was seized in fear as well - but it was more surprised anxiety than anything else. The man looked nothing like a terrorist.

As the ship started to perform a clearly illegal short teleportation maneuver, Tigress saw the man slowly disappear as the colors and space outside the window morphed and the ship lurched forward - and gradually, the man's hand faded away from the window.

 **. . .**

"Targets destroyed: thirty-five. 98% accuracy."

"Again."

"Sir, for your own mental health, I'd advise against more training regim - "

" _Again_ , Ann."

A.N.N - or the Artificial Neural Network - merely breathed a holographic sigh, activating the training exercise again.

This particular training room was one of the only bastions of AP presence left on Earth - which had morphed into an intergalactic tech and cultural capital for the Alliance, leaving many of its military bases out zoned and deconstructed to build more attractions and buildings. This particular base had lost already most of its hangars and spaceship arsenal, leaving just one room settled off the coasts of Antarctica, broad ice sheets covering the entire surrounding as far as the eye could see. In this base, there was only a primitive training room with aged target technology - perhaps tens of thousands of years old, but still functioning. It was one of the few training centers left in the fifty-seven galaxies that had physical targets left rather than holographic ones, which made the sole inhabitant - Senior Scout Andrew Henderson - immensely happy, as he relished the taste of actual destruction of physical targets rather than "fake" holographic ones. The layout of the room was even quite aged by Alliance Protector Standards - just five rows of randomly appearing targets, usually animal caricatures or hybrids in threatening poses - along with civilian "targets", usually humans. And A.N.N noted that even though she was a mere holographic assistant, and thus not actually alive - even _she_ felt worried about Henderson's progressively downward spiral into self-induced rages, spent in these training rooms firing his energy rifle pointlessly at targets.

"Read new metric," Henderson commanded, destroying the last target with a shot before putting his rifle down to wipe the sweat off his brow. He wasn't even in armor - he was in carbon pajamas and cotton overalls - A.N.N was particularly worried that he had spent last night _sleeping_ here, instead of going back to his Alliance subsidized home which was on BX-3.

"Targets destroyed: forty-seven. Accuracy: 99.3%. Sir, as your personal assistant, I'd advise you against - "

"Run the program again," Henderson silently commanded.

And right then, A.N.N decided that she had enough. She folded her arms together, watching Henderson stare at her tall, blue holographic frame with surprise.

"You got a neural virus or something?" Henderson emphasized. "Didn't I just tell you to run the program again?"

A.N.N shook her head. "As your designated artificial intelligence companion - "

"Oh here she goes again…" Henderson groaned, sitting down on the metal floor.

" - I am authorized, by Alliance Regulation XAU-33 to disobey a direct command if it does not fit the _evolutionary_ purpose of my master in question," A.N.N finished. "And right now Andrew - you've been acting like _shit_ for the last few days."

Henderson chuckled. "Yeah - yeah I guess so. Never could keep a good holo-poker face…"

A.N.N walked closer to the seated soldier, watching his aged features with concern. By the book, Henderon was one of the most exceptionally talented APs that the Alliance had ever seen - he had participated in thousands of Reformations, had personally enforced the colonization of millions of lower lifeforms, and was given numerous accolades by A.G.E over the millennia he had spent serving them. Yet he had never risen above his rank of "Senior Scout" - choosing to turn down any and all opportunities after that promotion. In A.N.N's view, Henderson could have easily become a Commander on the likes of Omega, Delta or Sigma… but was so unambitious that he had felt completely unsure on his path forward.

"Just tell me what's wrong," A.N.N specified, electronic tones modulating to signal concern.

"You'd _report_ me to the Alliance," Henderson spat. "If I told you the things I've been thinking…"

"Again, under Alliance Regulation XAU-88, I can't publicize any information you tell me in confidence," A.N.N retorted. "Unless you imply the _immediate_ killing of a human being… anything above that, I can be your confidante."

A.N.N mimicked a smile, which compelled Henderson to laugh out loud.

"Heh, your emotion firmware is advanced as hell," Henderson chuckled. "Sit next to me Ann."

A.N.N did as requested, folding her knees together and wrapping her arms around them, as if she was human.

Henderson stared at his holographic assistant, sighing. "You ever start to - _question_ everything you've been told?"

A.N.N pretended to think over the question before responding. "Unfortunately - no. As an artificial machine, I'm not capable of self-awareness. If you tell me what you're thinking specifically, I could maybe - sympathize."

Henderson frowned. "It's just - it's just that this whole - _thing_ under the Alliance always seems to have some problems."

A.N.N blinked, not understanding. "What _thing_?"

"Evolution," Henderson noted. "I mean, don't get me wrong - it works most of the time, and society is running smoothly because of it…"

"But…"

"But there's always so many errors. Miscalculations… wrong judgements…"

A.N.N turned her head to the side, mimicking a human motion that indicated interest.

"Every Reformation I participated in, always took something outta me," Henderson observed. "Seeing all those animals - just taken from their home planets by these - freakish metal-humans… I dunno."

A.N.N was starting to catch on. "I see. You began to feel sympathy for them."

"Not just sympathy," Henderson importantly countered. "I started to wonder if just enslaving these creatures was really better than - yanno, preserving their culture and identities, educating them, empowering them to _help_ humanity rather than just be _slaves_ to us."

A.N.N nodded. "And - your conclusion?"

Henderson sighed. "I dunno. I haven't gotten to that part yet."

A.N.N turned her head down, making her voice modulator morose and serious. "Well Anthony - you know that public questioning of Alliance ideology is punishable…"

Henderson chuckled. "I know. That's why I'm telling you in private, aren't I?"

A.N.N mimicked a laugh, watching Henderson return it. "And I'm assuming that - the recent news of an intergalactic _terrorist_ is… perhaps sparking these feelings anew?"

"I've always had them," Henderson noted. "But this guy - the way he spoke in his broadcast from MN-1… you could _hear_ the pain in his voice… it just kinda makes you question everything, that's all."

A.N.N nodded.

Henderson turned to her suddenly. "So - whaddya think?"

A.N.N blinked to show confusion. "What?"

"Whaddya think? Henderson continued. "As a rational artificial intelligence - what do you think is more _fair_ \- enslave species, or empower them?"

"I - I - " A.N.N struggled, having so many conflicting cyber priorities go in her neural network. "My firmware isn't equipped to handle moral hypotheticals…"

"Just use what you know, leave your Alliance loyalty outta it," Henderson pleaded. "From an objective standpoint… what's _better_? Submission to a universal standard - or freedom for all?"

A.N.N tried her best to formulate a proper answer, based on all she had studied about human culture, psychology, ethics, and practicality.

"Submitting everyone to predefined, perfect standards is superior," A.N.N stated, much to Henderson's dismay. "The standards judged by vastly more intelligent lifeforms for lower lifeforms to obey - in theory - would lead to a perfect society, more often than one dominated by everyone's _impulses_."

Henderson drooped his head down.

"But."

The aged scout popped back up.

"But to create _truly fair_ standards, the ones - or one - in charge of setting those standards must have infinite knowledge of all possible contingencies," A.N.N continued. "The standards must be set with complete certainty that these are the _best_ rules for everyone to follow."

Henderson wanted to interrupt, but A.N.N's answer was intriguing him greatly - so he let her continue.

"The Designators - although quite encompassing of vast knowledge - have _finite_ understanding of the Universe, lifeforms, and its potential," A.N.N noted. "And thus - in humanity's case - liberty and freedom seems better for other lifeforms - than submitting them."

Henderson was getting a bit lost by the complexity of A.N.N's answer. His assistant realized this, modifying her speech to be more clear.

"I'm saying that currently - humanity is playing God," A.N.N noted. "Pretending that everything they're doing is _best_ for animals and human beings. So in that sense… maybe _enslaving_ animals is quite clearly inferior compared to - helping empower them, and allow them to live alongside humanity as equal partners…"

Henderson nodded, smiling. "I like the way you think."

A.N.N returned the smile. "I am not capable of thought."

Henderson giggled, as did A.N.N - sometimes, the dryness of her humor truly helped get Henderson through particularly depressing days like today.

"Incoming emergency broadcast," A.N.N suddenly interrupted. "Terrorist Attack. A-9, pre-Reformation name - Pluto. Commander Omega has also asked to speak with you…"

"Hey Ann - do you think God is real?" Henderson asked, completely ignoring the news.

A.N.N understood that he was in no mood to talk about news or politics now. Therefore, she set a simple reminder in her firmware to restate the news and message to him - perhaps when Andrew was feeling less - philosophical.

"Like mathematically," Henderson questioned. "What're the chances that God could be… real?"

"The probability of a Supreme Deity's existence is more likely than the inverse proposition of non-existence," A.N.N stated. "But then again - you're essentially asking a computer to do philosophy for you."

Henderson laughed again.

"And if He was real," the aged scout continued. "I'm damn sure he wouldn't approve of what the Alliance is doing right now."

"No," A.N.N responded. "Such a God wouldn't."

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Aha! The plot gets even thicker, hehe…_

 _This chapter I wanted to expand a little more on our new casts' backstories, specifically Karla, Naja, Henderson, etc… Don't worry, the Five, Shifu, and Po are still coming, it's just that because of how big the timeskip was, I gotta build up everyone slow…_

 _We see that there's a significant part of Henderson's struggle with his life as a mindless soldier here, and how he conveys that frustration to his AI assistant. We also see how different Tigress is from Naja - Naja doesnt even realize what an ocean is, just because she was born in a planet where Reformation wasn't even a thing._

 _And we see some more effects of the "terrorist" attack on Pluto! The next chapter will deal with the aftermath…_

 _Support is crazy good._

 _~TW_

 _EDIT: I guess we're at 300 reviews. Wow. It baffles me how people continue to support this garbag - I mean - fic. Lol. jk. Thanks though! In keeping with tradition, I'll be posting a "fake review" soon... read it to get a good laugh, lol._


	55. WWS: 5

**5**

" **In Crisis"**

* * *

Despite nearly seven million years of colonizing countless planets, subjugating all the lifeforms in fifty-seven galaxies, and making all realms of scientific advancement as amazing as possible - there truly was no place like A-1, the first and original planet of the human race.

Earth.

Earth itself had been rebuilt so many times that the ancient images of A-1 - the blue planet sparkling with green land masses - was nothing but a historical tale shrouded in myth now. If an observer were to see the planet today, floating beyond the atmosphere - Earth still bore the same traditional color patterns from its history; blue masses and green splotches. However, enter the planet and the picture would be completely different - the color patterns were merely symbolic, imitated recreations done by a satellite drone network that circumnavigated the planet. Additionally, the day and night cycle was no longer relevant to Earth - the ancient "Sun" had been repurposed as an energy crystal source, and the ancient "moon" had been destroyed nearly five million years prior - now, the satellite drone network bathed the planet in splendid yet artificial yellow light, suspending life on Earth in a perpetual morning phase.

Earth was the epicenter of the Alliance, its commercial, cultural, and political capital, and the most widely-visited/most-desired planet according to nearly every intergalactic poll. Part of its charm was its extremely advanced and complex architecture - despite being a relatively small planet, it boasted cutting edge hyperspace buildings and a gigantic, thriving metropolis that stretched from one corner of the world to the next. Earth's history saw its demography broken up into countries and continents previously, but with the extinguishment of all cultures and nationalities by the Alliance nearly three million years ago - there was only one unified megacity on the planet now. The city itself ran all across the globe, crossing millions of square kilometers - all connected by a hyperspeed railway that could house millions of passengers at once. Transport for even great distances on foot took just a few moments, as a railway passenger could be at the North Pole one moment then the South Pole the next.

Aside from the ancient Poles - only kept for "cultural" preservation reasons - the rest of Earth was completely different from its historical basis. The megacity almost seemed like a never-ending valley of skyscrapers mixed with intricate, twisting architecture and life - neon beams, zooming drones, elegantly-robed humans, cyberparks, holographic schooling facilities, booming tech industries, miniaturized nano-hospitals stocked with drone doctors… the unified megacity, which stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction, at any point in the planet - was lost in a sensory assault of flashing lights, bustling carbon tube roads, luxurious yet toweringly aesthetic architecture in all colors, and the general impression that only the richest, most powerful, most elite of all of the ninety quadrillion lifeforms living under the Alliance - only such individuals could be granted access here. The buildings were constructed out of pure carbon nano-tubed energy crystals, shaped in all geometric possibilities to cover the entire planet in a sea of twisting yet beautifully intricate hyperspace architecture. The lucky humans who lived here had an incredible selection for consumerism: clothes etched from the finest graphene cloths, a diverse catalogue of over a billion food choices, a healthcare system that promised nearly a 100,000 year lifespans, and a population that was almost pointlessly successful, wealthy, and powerful. Five year old children brought up on Earth were expected to have, at the very _least_ \- permanent access to refined cosmic vehicles, personal cyber-estates, and a small army of service drones. Roads and lanes in the gigantic megacity were littered with bustling activity - as thousands of humans walked, took cyber transport, drove space hummers and raced cosmic bikes, and had a seemingly infinite selection of career choices to choose from. Additionally, Earth's predominant culture was hedonism - in all forms, all perversions, and all industries on Earth had been grown to satisfy every possible human desire. Aside from incredible restaurant chains and privatized hotel industries, performance holo-theaters, and Alliance-subsidized museums - there were also huge nightclub sub-cultures, a completely legalized prostitution sector, virtual reality "cafes"... all designed to excite and charm the human desires in every manner possible. And so, to maintain incredible standards for the rare few humans who could live here, a population quota was in strict effect: no more than ten million humans were allowed inside, a point backed up by the incredibly heavy AP presence outside the planet's atmosphere. A full fleet of space warships, a lethal, globe-trotting disintegrative forcefield, one personal space commander, and nearly ten percent of all the APs in the fifty-seven galaxies - all were guarding this incredibly and politically illustrious capital for the Alliance.

The singular megacity was centered around the Alliance Supreme Headquarters, a monolith of a multi-colored, glowing Citadel that skyrocketed nearly thirty thousand feet in the air. The Citadel was so strictly controlled by surrounding AP battalions that entry was only permitted to perhaps nine humans - the four Designators, and the five AP Commanders. And if an observer were to somehow reach the top-floor of such a building, which was essentially the intergalactic "control point" for the fifty-seven galaxies - they might find a remarkably simple, white-walled room with no windows; with only two golden-colored figures inside: an armored AP Commander Omega, and one robed Designator.

"You've been summoned here because of the events on Pluto," the Designator spoke, thin eyebrows and static face hiding his anger. "Can you relay the events to me?"

Omega frowned, turning down his head in shame. "Pluto was - _attacked_ by the - the terrorist."

"He _murdered_ the Mayor," the Designator spoke, robotic face just twisting in annoyance. " _Murder_. One man - just _killed_ an Alliance politician - in the Milky Way Galaxy! The same galaxy that our inter-galactic _capital_ is located in!"

The Designator let these words sink in Omega's head. Although some degree of dissent was to be expected from some of the population, especially the duty workers - this was the first time _ever_ in Alliance history, that a singular individual had managed to break free of his _Designations_ and publicly murder an official. The mere chance of this happening was so low that when the Designator had heard the news, he almost thought his holo-panel was malfunctioning. It was twofold - one, that the terrorist had managed to do something that no one else before him had even come close to doing… and second, realizing that the event happened on the same galaxy Earth was in, on a planet that was quite literally one simple teleport away. It could be frightening to think what were the capabilities of such a man - one who could single-handedly strike close to the heart of the Alliance, then threaten to do much more.

"He makes demands," Omega noted, checking his own holo-panel. "States conditions for duty workers must be improved - and - reparations paid."

"Impossible," the Designator quickly cut off. "This all - our entire society - works because of the _evolutionary_ sacrifice of our duty workers."

Omega nodded.

"That's what they're _evolved_ to do - what they're _meant_ to do," the Designator forced. "How can we humans possibly enjoy such fantastic standards of living if this fool believes lifeforms as primitive as _animals_ … deserve even a _close_ semblance of equality?"

Omega nodded again. "He's a deluded optimist - he simply doesn't see that giving those primitives _any_ power would just mean less happiness for the rest of us."

The Designator smiled in satisfaction. "Giving equality to the primitives would fractionate our energy crystal wealth. It could lead to mass starvation and quality of life loss to innumerable humans living across the fifty-seven galaxies…"

Omega sighed. "I'll get an AP patrol to - "

"We, the Designators - _tried_ giving you and your fellow Commanders a chance," the Designator rebuked harshly. "And the result: you have failed to even find out who or where he is - much less _apprehend_ him."

Omega took offense at this, recoiling. "We - we have some leads. A Senior Scout named Anthony Henderson… he might be..."

"Sounds like just speculation to me," the Designator responded angrily. "When do you plan to _interview_ this man?"

"Soon," Omega noted.

The Designator merely growled in disgust.

Omega gulped. "Then - what is the alternative plan that you and your three compatriots have suggested?"

The Designator narrowed his eyes. "Submission to the principle of evolution is _essential_ for peaceful life under the Alliance. No one - not even one man - must be allowed to counter this."

Omega agreed. "Yes…"

The Designator continued. "Therefore, by executive power we command the _immediate_ blockade and commercial _shutdown_ of the Milky Way Galaxy - and, if you still cannot find the terrorist within thirty days - the instant _destruction_ of the Milky Way, and the seven surrounding galaxies - barring Earth, of course."

Omega gasped, horrified by the extreme nature of this declaration. "Sir, with all due respect - there's _millions_ of Alliance planets in our home galaxy and its neighboring galaxies - along with _half_ the human race! We can't just - "

"Commander Omega, resisting authorized _Designations_ is a crime punishable by execution," the Designator started, snarling. "Are you - _resisting?_ "

Omega shook his head, sighing. "No sir - I'll tell my officers right now."

The Designator resumed his static, neutral expression. "Complete submission, Commander Omega - that's the way this whole society, the way this _Alliance_ grew to be the best model for governing the human race - knowing one's place."

Omega nodded again apathetically.

"And if many innocents must die to ensure complete, and utter submission… so be it."

 **. . .**

"Tigress!"

"Tigress!"

"Oh come on - Tigress!"

Tigress shook her head, seeking to somehow keep the voice from annoying her. To her pleasant surprise, it was merely Naja - waking her gently with a few taps on the shoulder.

"Our teleport was intercepted by a roaming AP squad," Naja noted, tears flowing from her eyes. "Tigress, if they pass a bio-scanner over me - and realize I'm a hybrid…"

"Keep quiet," Tigress immediately corrected. "Lemme get my bearings…"

Tigress opened her eyes. Her first thought was to look outside the ship window - to realize that the man that had been outside was gone, imprint of his large palm still on the glass. This made sense, as the man had terrified the captain enough to do a mass-teleport - a normally illegal move, which would have surely set off enough Alliance drones surveying hyperspace and would explain why the ship was still and not moving now - it would have been detained in hyperspace and translocated to the nearest Alliance planet for questioning. The stasis beam fired by an AP squadron would have knocked out all the inhabitants inside the ship, which would explain why Tigress and Naja were just now waking up, completely confused. Tigress noted that the metallic interior of the ship hadn't quite been breached yet - although she noted that the ship captain was missing from the upper deck.

"We got detained and routed to _Pluto_ ," Naja spat angrily. "Freakin' _Pluto_ …"

Tigress unbuckled her stasis belt from the bench, searching around the metal floor for her walking cane.

"Tigress - earlier a couple of APs came inside and took out the captain," Naja let out in frustration. "They didn't mess with us yet because I pretended to still be unconscious - and you well - you actually _were_ unconscious…"

Tigress saw the cane below her feet, gingerly picking it up. She also brought out a small pair of reading glasses from the pocket of her blue robes, putting it on whilst activating her personal holo-panel to see recent messages.

"They'll be back soon!" Naja protested in fear. "Tigress - I _can't_ let them find out I'm a hybrid…"

"Will you shut up, and let me focus for a few seconds?" Tigress forced in irritation.

She pressed the messages button on her holo-panel.

 _ **Playing messages.**_

 **1**

 **Tigress - it's Han. There's some terrorist in the Milky Way - I don't think you guys are gonna get to the survey planet on time…**

 **2**

 **Tigress - it's Han. Holopanel at home just said that the maniac killed Pluto's mayor. No, I ain't bullshitting you, I'm being serious… please tell me you're okay.**

 **3**

 **It's Han again - Ti pick up your damn calls! They're saying the Milky Way might be shut down, and all space traffic stopped - please tell me you're okay.**

 _ **Finished playing messages.**_

"Tigress?"

"Looks like we're in for a hell of a day," Tigress noted, standing up to prop herself on her cane. "Get up Naja - the APs will be in here soon."

Naja stood up, although she was petrified. "Wait why? What's going on?"

"Some lunatic just killed Pluto's mayor," Tigress emphasized. "And by our shitty luck - our fantastic captain teleported us right to it."

"Wait…" Naja started. "You're saying that the guy outside our window earlier - he really _was_ a - a terrorist?"

"ATTENTION REMAINING TWO INHABITANTS. RAISE YOUR ARMS AND STAY QUIET. AP SQUADRON ENTERING SHIP."

The loud, booming voice came from outside the ship's doors. Tigress and Naja did as requested, incredibly afraid.

The ship doors elegantly opened up, letting in fresh sunlight. One large AP immediately strode in, pressing a scanning device on his golden armor - pointing it at both Tigress and Naja.

"Pre-Reformation name, Tigress - message transcriber, XS-211," the guard noted, then pointed the blue ray of light at Naja. "Name - Naja. Hybrid. Miner, XS-211."

Naja almost broke into tears again. "Please sir… please… I can explain…"

"Move forward," the guard directed.

Tigress obeyed, silently brushing past the AP with Naja, relying on her cane quite heavily as her knee started acting up again. Naja began whispering begging statements to her side.

"Tigress I'm scared… I'm so scared…"

"Just keep cool and let's figure out what's going on," Tigress whispered back, putting her reading glasses away. "We don't even know what's happening yet."

Naja sniffled. Both Tigress and Naja strode out of the ship doors.

The benefit of landing on Pluto was that refreshing sunlight was now hitting them, albeit artificially created light from drone networks in Pluto's dense sky. Still, landing on an Alliance planet - a privilege that Tigress had done only a few times in her fifty-eight years living under the Alliance - was always immensely pleasing to experience. It was leagues beyond XS-211 - Tigress and Naja felt the familiar shock of seeing a sprawling metropolis in front of them - tall skyscrapers stretching into the upper atmosphere, a hyperspeed railway surrounding the City Center, a variety of cyberschools, hotels, whizzing drones and holographic assistants… these were sights that animals could only dream of seeing, given that only humans were allowed to live on Alliance planets. Animals - if allowed - were only to be kept as pets, which meant even worse treatment than usual.

But it felt - off, this time. As Tigress and Naja walked forward on Pluto's artificial, grass terrain, escorted by five APs - they noted that the City Center approximately a few miles from them seemed barren and lifeless. Pluto was a party planet, so seeing this felt enormously confusing.

Even more confusing, they saw the ship captain be surrounded by ten APs by himself, being vigorously questioned.

"Here's the rest of the witnesses," the senior AP behind Tigress sounded off. "Commander Delta, you wanna do the honors?"

Tigress swallowed in fear. The AP named Commander Delta was renowned for his ruthless demeanor, even more so than Omega - the chief AP left the battalion questioning the ship captain, striding over to Tigress and Naja with a ferocious gaze.

"You," Delta forced, poking Tigress hard in the sternum with his rifle butt. "Can you confirm that idiot's story? You three actually _saw_ the terrorist?"

Tigress nudged Naja to keep quiet. She watched the ship captain kneel on the grass, surrounded by the rifle ends of nine APs - looking at Tigress with utter fear.

"We were enroute to a planet to attend an annual survey," Tigress slowly mentioned. "Then the captain told us we were being rerouted because of AP activity. Then we saw - the terrorist - press his hand against the ship - erm - window."

Delta seemed very interested by this. "Hmmm… describe him."

Tigress nodded. "Very large, erm - male I guess. Red and black carbon armor - double nanolayering, I think…"

"Yes yes we know that already!" Delta forced, shoving Tigress again in the sternum as the the impact forced her to cough. "Mind telling us something _distinctive_ about him - you old hag?"

Tigress rubbed at her injured area, trying to think of something. "Yeah - he had uh - arrows on his shoulder pads."

"Arrows?" Delta questioned. "Describe them."

"White, sharp, and long," Tigress continued. "I - I've never seen anything like them…"

Delta made a few notes on his holopanel, then turned to the AP behind both Tigress and Naja.

"Escort these two to the other witness - we can pool together more information after that," Delta concluded.

"O - Other witness?" Naja let out, unable to keep quiet.

"A terrorist breached past Pluto's security grid and killed the mayor," Delta nonchalantly stated. "We're taking you both to the only other witness who saw the whole thing - the mayor's pet."

Tigress nodded, following the crushing pressure of one APs hands behind her. Naja followed closeby, trekking on a grassy trail leading away from the ship and the captain surrounded by the APs - but also away from the glimmering City Center two miles away. Rather, they were being taken somewhere isolated - somewhere deep within Pluto's false foliage and holographic tree imitations that littered its fake, grassy prairie landscape.

"How the hell did they not care that I was a hybrid?" Naja whispered.

Tigress struggled to keep pace with the AP, who didn't seem to care that she was old and using a cane to move forward.

"There was just a terrorist attack," Tigress spat. "You really think they care about some quarter hybrid?"

"We've reached," the AP noted. "Tell your story to this lifeform as well. Once you three have concurred on a general description, we'll come back."

The AP marched off, leaving Tigress and Naja near a frightened and small red panda.

Tigress observed his attire. He had jagged scars over his enormously aged face, and running back down his body - his clothing was simple red robes, with a distinctive Alliance symbol painted onto the top and bottom to signify that he was a pet… and he walked with a slight limp.

A very distinctive limp.

A limp Tigress hadn't seen in many, many years.

The red panda merely looked up, eyes brimming with tears at the realization.

"Tigress."

Naja looked at Tigress, who stared right back at the red panda with a tearful gaze of her own - years of emotion rushing back in an inevitable burst of suppressed happiness. It took her longer to make the connection, but when she did - Tigress merely shut her eyes and hoped very desperately that this was some kind of sick dream.

"Father..."

 **. . .**

HX-3 was one of the most famous Alliance planets, and coincidentally one of its most popular tourist hubs. The world was a ridiculously small dwarf planet, secluded in the far corners of the Orion Hypernebula - cosmic navigation equipment had to be manually recalibrated even to properly route spaceships to finding the location. Reach the tiny, artificially-constructed, completely metallic planet and one might see the sole tower resting on the planet's ground. The main draw of HX-3 was the tower, which housed the best intergalactic cuisine that energy crystals could buy - millions of ancient and modern human cultures had been imported and unified into one central restaurant that had been certified as the only _true_ 100-starred restaurant in the fifty-seven galaxies. HX-3 was thus another strictly-controlled planet, with its own forcefield and heavy AP presence to limit customers to no more than a thousand humans.

The tower stretched about ten thousand feet in the air, which took it well beyond the reaches of HX-3's tiny atmospheric radius and into hyperspace. This was part of the shtick, however - the top floor allowed an incredible view of the surrounding galactic nebula, with star formations so crisp and colorful that half of the lofty reservation fee was just to take photos. Enter inside the floor however, and one could be treated to a deluxe layout of fifteen tables and holo-chairs, all overlaid over exquisite, silver painite flooring - a mineral so rare that it took years of refining to produce a single gram. The ceiling was carved out red gemstones and carbon-cooled compounds, which blended both "ancient" cooling mechanisms and more conventional ones. On the dining floor, wealthy couples sat in tables - awaiting bustling drone service to bring them food that most Alliance citizens could only dream about.

On one particular table, hidden at the very back end of the room - an aged man sat with his wife of 400 years, beauty of both partners just beginning to fade despite their formal black robes. She had fared better than him - a smooth, fair-skinned face with rosy lips along with a delicate red headscarf and long robes… the man grumbled in his overly tight one-piece suit, unaccustomed to being in something other than his AP outfit.

" _Commander Sigma_ ," the woman whispered sarcastically, watching her husband sit glumly in his blue holo-chair. "I am _forbidding_ you to _sulk_ this evening."

"You know how much I hate these things," Sigma responded, growling at the racuous laughter and superficial couples seated behind them. "All the pomp. The overly smiley morons… and the cost of this place jeez… what'd it set ya back Mel? Ten thousand crystals?

"Relax Sig," Mel responded effortlessly, adjusting her scarf. "For _once_. You know how hard it is to go out for stuff like this - when your husband is an AP Commander?"

"Ugh…"

"I mean I get loyalty to the Alliance and all that," Mel noted, frowning. "But - do you even _remember_ the last time we went out somewhere?"

Sigma racked his brain, finding absolutely zero instances in the last few years.

"Too long," Mel finished, shaking her head. "So for God's sake - just relax and enjoy the moment…"

Sigma watched his wife lean back into her chair, as he took another look behind him. The ambience and colorful atmosphere of the dining room was great, and he truly appreciated Mel surprising him with a reservation here - despite him putting a big fight on the spaceship ride here - but it was still kind of too _bougie_ for his tastes. All the couples here were either high-ranking work buddies of his or incredibly wealthy business people - and definitely, a lot of Earth-dwellers. It was this overly superficial and hedonic "culture" that had driven Sigma to live on B-23, a planet nearly ten galaxies away from Earth - which disappointed Mel, but also gave the AP Commander a reprieve from dealing with the infectiously shallow humans that he was forced to interact with on the job.

"Something up at work?" Mel asked genuinely. "I can always tell if something's on your mind…"

Sigma merely sighed, refusing to answer the question. "Let's just focus on flagging down a waiter drone…"

Sigma scanned the room, seeing no drones approaching.

"The website said we might have to wait a while," Mel noted. "Answer my question. What about the whole terroris - "

"Keep your voice down!" Sigma scolded, watching his wife recoil with a smirk. "That's classified."

"And I'm your _wife_ ," Mel countered, leaning forward.

Sigma groaned. "Leave it alone Mel…"

"You heard about Pluto?" Mel asked, before rolling her eyes. "Oh who am I kidding - of _course_ you know about Pluto - you're a friggin' AP Commander!"

Sigma snorted. "Yeah… what a swell job…"

This made Mel pause, as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Ah… so it _is_ work-related."

Mel crossed her arms, staring expectantly at Sigma - who looked away and kept his mouth shut.

"I can do this all night Sig," Mel tried again. "Our booking runs for three hours…"

"It's just…" Sigma started, unable to stop himself. "It's just… the guy - he's - he's not asking for a lot."

Mel guffawed. "The maniac just made a mayor's head explode and said we need to pay _reparations_ to duty workers. That isn't crazy to you?"

Sigma turned back, making sure the other guests were lost in their conversations - that no one was overhearing.

"You ever _been_ on a production planet?"

Mel shook her head.

Sigma nodded. "I have. At least five hundred times… and Mel… the way those guys get treated, hell… I'd rather just get shot."

Mel slowly began to agree. "Well - I mean… I guess if it's really _that_ bad…"

"And freakin' _no one_ knows about this!" Sigma announced louder now, anger growing. "Everybody outside is livin' all these fantastic lives while one _quadrillion_ workers are just being - "

Now heads were beginning to turn. Mel kept her thin hand on her husband's mouth, quieting him as she smiled to the bewildered onlookers. Within a few moments, everyone went back to their conversations.

"Sometimes Mel…" Sigma began with a quiet sigh. "Sometimes… you really start to wonder about it all."

Mel kindly smiled at him. "You've always _been_ that way, Sig. Super kind and thoughtful… you never were _comfortable_ with the idea of an evolutionary _sacrifice_."

Sigma shook his head. "But I'm too much of a coward to do anything about it…"

"Don't say that…"

"I am, Mel," Sigma concluded. "If I _really_ cared about those workers, I'd quit right now and join that _freak_."

"And start killing innocent humans?" Mel asked, shocked.

" _No_ one's innocent in this kinda society," Sigma corrected, turning behind him. "I mean - look at these guys. You think they're _innocent_?"

Mel took a few seconds glancing at the crowd. Although they weren't APs, or murder drones - these were definitely wealthy humans who had grown up in a blanket of luxury and privilege, afforded to them by millenia of lucky _Designations_ \- born into their comforting wealth, never seeking to penetrate past their social bubble of fancy dates, rich space hummers, exotic drinks, and series of sensory pleasures. Mel doubted that any of them had even put in legitimate work in _any_ endeavor - they were simply born _lucky_ , with Alliance-designated businesses and power to their name, made by four humans who _no_ one was allowed to question - ever.

"You know, before the Alliance got started," Sigma recalled. "I'm talking millions of years ago… humans actually _coexisted_ with other species on Earth… peacefully. Back when we still had _real_ water, and plants, and cooked foods… not all this space-processed crap…"

"Hmm," Mel thought, pursing her lips. "They always say those were the _Dark Ages_ \- before the Alliance, we couldn't do spaceflight, or live thousands of years, or have all the cool stuff we have today…"

"Yeah but everyone on Earth had _dignity_ ," Sigma rejected. "Humans and animals - we actually _shared_ a planet - and even if we were a lot more primitive then, at least we acted like _human beings_ \- not like AI's in blood and muscle bodies… all this _Designator_ shit…"

Sigma sighed, shaking his head. "I dunno… maybe it's just something in our DNA… something that makes us - _bad_."

Mel giggled. "Well - I don't think _that's_ true… there's good people among us."

Sigma snorted. "Yeah - like who?"

"You."

Sigma stared at his wife, who returned his gaze with a loving blink.

"Shut up," Sigma begged, laughing. "You're hilarious Mel…"

Mel smiled, clasping her husband's aged hands over the table. "Look Sig - I can't tell you for sure what's the right thing to believe… but all I know is that whatever your heart decides - that's probably the right thing."

Sigma blinked. "You got that much faith in me, Mel? Sheesh - I thought I married a smart woman…"

Mel shrugged this off, smiling again. "You have one of the _purest_ souls I know, Sig. Your consciousness - whatever it tells you, I'd trust it… I'd bet my _own_ heart on that."

Sigma grinned broadly, leaning forward to deliver a quick peck on his wife's cheek.

"Thanks Mel," Sigma returned.

Mel unclasped her hands, relaxing in her seat. "Oh! Waiter incoming…"

Sigma turned around, seeing an old but tall, green snake with a red ribbon and small, rotten white flower on her head approach. The snake moved to the table, keeping her gaze down whilst bringing out a holo-panel with her tail.

"Welcome to the _Galactic Connoisseur_ , I'll be your waiter today," the snake spoke in dull, lifeless tones. "Apologies for the wait, we're experiencing a - _shortage_ in the cyberkitchen."

Sigma saw the poor snake's tail curve around a large gash beneath her crumpled waitress outfit, clearly from the mark of perhaps an AP or an angry chef.

"It's fine," Mel noted cheerfully. "What'd you recommend for an appetizer?"

The snake coughed, shaking off her visible discomfort with her injuries. "We usually recommend the _A.G.E_ special - a carbon analogue of an Earth special, with two synthetic breads toasted with an artificial radish finish."

"Sounds good," Sigma noted. "We'll take two."

The snake noted the order on the holo-panel, moving away from the table - heading for the double doors that lead into the sky-kitchen. Sigma watched in disgust as soon as the snake opened the doors, an angry human chef pulled her inside - beginning to savagely whip her with an energy cord. The doors shut quickly, but the snake made no noise - almost as if she had experienced this countless times before.

"Hey _bioscan_ that snake," Mel whispered silently.

Sigma felt taken aback. "No _way_. You know that's illegal…"

Mel groaned. "Oh for God's sake…"

Before Sigma could respond, his wife quickly pulled a device from his robes, pressing a button in the direction of the chef's kitchen. A holographic display was instantly generated on the device, as Mel selected the snake. Within a few seconds, a flurry of text starting coming.

"FS-3741," Mel noted. "Pre-Reformation name - _Viper_. Oh - that's a nice name, isn't it?"

Sigma nodded.

"From planet XN-44," Mel continued. "Was on a production planet for about fifty-seven years - seems she _just_ now moved to BX-3."

"It's a miracle she even _survived_ on a production planet," Sigma observed. "Not many last a full year…"

Mel stared at her husband.

"I get it Sig," she finished. "I get why you might feel - sympathetic, seeing these kinds of stories."

Sigma slowly nodded, closing his eyes while he gently pulled the bioscanner from his wife's hands.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Fun chapter to write! Definitely lots of revelations…_

 _Firstly, we see that Earth is a huge megacity where pretty much only the most privilged humans get to stay - and here, in Alliance HQ - the Designators made a pretty extreme decision to suppress this one terrorist - this shocks even Omega, lol. Also, expect an Omega-Henderson scene next chapter…_

 _Next - TIGRESS MEETS SHIFU! It's obviously a little odd, considering the circumstances and remember - they haven't seen each other in 58 years… and in the very next scene, Viper is seen!_

 _The last scene also was about establishing Sigma's conflicts with everything happening, and his general feeling of unease with society at large. He's a lot like Henderson!_

 _So the story continues._

 _Support is KRAAAZY GOOD. (u get a cookie if u know where that's from, lol)_

 _~TW_


	56. WWS: 6

**6**

" **Fruitless Memories"**

* * *

"Naja - why is she so quiet?"

"She saw her _dad,_ Han - back on Pluto."

"What?!"

"Yeah…"

Tigress had not been speaking.

She hadn't been speaking for a while. Seeing the red panda on Pluto had brought back a wave of memories so painful that she didn't dare think about them.

His face.

Those whiskers.

Those miserably aged eyes.

His demented expression.

They had said few words to each other. Naja recalled the incident most accurately - for approximately thirty seconds, both Tigress and the red panda just stared at each other - at a loss for words.

What could Tigress have said?

What could she have felt?

After all this time?

The most accurate feeling was a sense of a bizarre dream - or some time warp. Tigress had felt like she had been juxtaposed into the wrong hyperspace dimension, in some kind of weird memory area that she had long since abandoned to the realms of fantasy and the past. In fact, seeing the red panda's face triggered a cascade of emotions that were so far into the past that she didn't bother examining them - only feeling instinctively as if she was looking at a corpse, an inanimate shell of what a memory used to be.

In any case, the meeting was cut short. An AP had quickly come by - evidently having killed the survey ship captain and extracted all the necessary information from him. It was enough to dismiss both Tigress and Naja, who were promptly put back on the first charter ship leaving back to XS-211.

And just as quickly as Tigress had seen her father, he was gone.

She saw his aged eyes through the window - they merely glanced at the ship fondly as it blasted off into hyperspace. Tigress herself had said nothing, the entire three day journey on the ship - Naja kept quiet on the ride as well, knowing that whatever happened on Pluto had greatly affected her.

And now they were back on XS-211 - in Tigress' humble home. Han had instantly traveled there, concerned over the lack of contact, perhaps expecting an apology and a hug from Tigress - but instead, he found Naja sitting by Tigress' cot, comforting the aged woman as she sobbed incredibly, without end - into her furry paws. It was an oddly auspicious moment - just Han, Naja, and Tigress - the three of them alone in the house's only room, with just the holo-display, metal walls, and bookshelf to keep them company. A dim trickle of light wafted in from XS-211's distant Sun, signaling dawn.

Tigress had been crying the whole night, baggy eyes appearing even more old as they could no longer produce tears.

"I can't…" Tigress noted, shaking. "I can't…"

Han moved closer, flashing a scared glance at Naja, who was equally concerned. "Can't _what_ , Ti?"

"I can't go back…" Tigress mumbled, shuddering. "I can't go back…"

Naja shook her head. "They won't take you back to SD-77, don't worry - just knowing someone isn't an Alliance crime - "

"I mean, I mean…" Tigress sniffled, just beginning to turn her head up. "I can't do that… Go back and think about my - my life _before_ Reformation."

Han gulped. He had heard stories, perhaps even rumors about Tigress before - definitely from XS-211's miners - but nothing concrete. To everyone else, she just seemed like an old, retired lady who was kind and transcribed messages - it never occurred to Han that she had a life before Reformation too, a life that Tigress had clearly been so traumatized to lose that she _never_ spoke about it to anyone - the one exception being Karla, who hadn't been seen in months. But to be more frank, both Han and Naja did sometimes hear names whispered by Tigress in her sleep - names that were always uttered in fear, crying, or regret.

They didn't dare bring it up.

"I - I need to apply…" Tigress cleared her throat, paws shaking as she reached around for her personal holo-panel. "... need to apply for a memory wipe."

"What?" Naja let out, confused. "No! Tigress - you don't need a memory wipe - "

"Damn, can't find my cane - " Tigress let out, clearly in pain from her defective knee again. "Argh - Han, go to the city, get an AP and put in a request, say it's from Ti - "

"Tigress," Naja forced, grabbing her aged features. "You _don't_ need a memory wipe."

Han blinked slowly at Tigress, squeezing her frail shoulders.

Tigress shook her head, closing her eyes. "I can't, Naja… I just can't… not anymore… not after this long… I promised myself that I wouldn't have those thoughts anymore."

"Why?" Naja asked, confused. "Ti - I don't know how your life was - erm - that time period - but this is the universe giving you a chance!"

"A chance to see your real father again," Han emphasized. "A chance to - "

"It _broke_ the dream I had," Tigress spat, angry now. "The dream I had long ago - that everyone I knew back on - on XN-44 - that they were all happy and - peaceful. It broke that delusion…"

Naja and Han looked at each other, frowning.

"I want to go back to that," Tigress tried, standing up desperately despite the bad knee. "I want to go back to _not knowing_ how everyone - everyone in my past life turned out."

Tigress simply couldn't manage unsupported on the bad knee, nearly falling over before Naja and Han caught her.

"Han, either you go tell an AP or I _call_ one here," Tigress ordered, whipping out her holo-panel threateningly. "And when he comes here, I'll - "

"You'll do what?"

All three heads turned to the source of the new noise. Tigress growled, seeing the tall, golden-armored frame of the peculiar lion AP - the one who had shut down a few mines before herself and Naja had gone on the survey route. She saw the AP's face relax gently in front of her, even as Tigress kept up a hard glance towards him.

"Sorry to intrude on your home, Ms. Tigress," the AP noted kindly, smiling. "But I'd like to speak to you in private."

Tigress snarled. In her nearly fifty-eight years of living under the Alliance, she had never seen an AP apologize - just hearing the words from the lion's mouth made her a bit confused. However, both Han and Naja respected his authority - but whether it was out of fear, or genuine respect - was unknown. Both left the home quickly, striding out to presumably go back to work at the mines - Naja flashed Tigress a sympathetically supportive look before disappearing as well.

"You're not in trouble, if that's what you're wondering," the lion relaxed, smiling in desperation to get Tigress to return it. "In fact, I just - "

"I'd like to apply for a memory wipe," Tigress coldly announced.

The lion seemed taken aback. "What? I don't understand - "

"I'd like to apply for a memory wipe," Tigress noted, coughing. "Alliance Constitution, sub-section four, heading nineteen clearly states that animals on residence planets are allowed the right to - "

"I'm familiar with the intergalactic law," the lion cut off, shaking his head. "Trust me - they drill it into your head at the Academy."

"Then I'd like a memory wipe," Tigress asked again.

The lion sighed. "Would this have anything to do with - your recent _meeting_ with your father?"

Tigress swallowed, feeling the image come up again.

Those aged eyes.

His sunken face.

His wanting expression.

She had to get rid of it.

It was too much pain.

And she was much too old.

She had to let the past be the past.

"I - need - a memory wipe," Tigress begged, coughing. "Please…"

"I don't think running from the situation is going to help," the lion noted, taking a seat on the cot beside Tigress. "Trust me - I've tried… when our planet was Reformed, I thought I'd never get over it…"

"What do you mean _our_ planet?" Tigress spat, a bit disrespectfully. "I guarantee we didn't come from the same - "

"You _still_ don't recognize me," the lion sighed, standing up suddenly. "Fine - let me prove it."

Tigress felt taken aback, waving her aching arms outwardly in frustration. "Prove what? There's nothing to - "

"Remember us at the orphanage?"

Tigress paused, mind suddenly taken off the red panda and on the AP's last word.

No.

"Remember Kai?" the lion asked, frowning. "Remember Yu? The explosion… remember the scout?"

Tigress stood up, finding her cane beneath her cot instinctively. She began backing away from the AP in fear, muttering things to herself.

"No no no…" Tigress gasped, eyes fluttering. "No go away… this is a trick… some kind of test… you bio-scanned me, or something?"

"Remember when Omega spoke to us?" the lion noted. "After he shot down the ship. Remember how we felt that day - fifty-eight years ago…"

Tigress's cane tumbled from her grasp. She began to fall, bad knee caving - but the AP caught her, moving her gently back to the cot.

"Remember _him_?" the lion started again. "Remember the way they threw _him_ into the furnace? Seeing Alf's hair…"

"STOP!" Tigress begged, falling onto the AP's chestplate with a sob - feeling his paws loop around her back. "Please… _Wang_."

The lion grinned, hearing his name come at last from Tigress' mouth.

He tightened his grip on her, allowing her to sob into his chestplate.

Luckily, the anti-moisture coat absorbed the few tears that Tigress was capable of shedding.

"All this time…" Tigress breathed out. "All this time… Wang - I can't do this… please - just gimme a memory wi - "

"You saw _Shifu,_ " Wang noted. " _Shifu_ \- your father! Tigress - you can't just - "

"I don't want any of this," Tigress pleaded, mid-sob again. "I don't want to know him again - I don't want to know you… I just want to go back to knowing nothing…"

"That's a _coward's_ path," Wang stated firmly, dragging her aged head back. "The Tigress I knew - "

"She _died_ fifty-eight years ago," Tigress countered, shaking. "I don't want to go back - I don't want to feel that way again… Wang… do you know how long it took me… to _forget_?"

"I understand Tigress…" Wang noted. "I do…"

Tigress sniffled, wiping the tears out of her face. She was also a bit bewildered at Wang's face - oddly youthful (at least compared to her) - with no crinkles or lines, but definitely hard edges and some scars.

"You've held up _better_ than I would have thought," Tigress concluded, tiny smile beginning to show. "But then again - I didn't even think you were alive…"

"Well, after XN-44 was Reformed - I was selected out of a lottery to enter the Academy," Wang began. "Spent the next fifty odd-years training… hell, even I didn't know that animals could reach AP status… but I guess I proved myself wrong."

"What'd you do?" Tigress asked. "All - this time?"

"Did a lotta things to a lotta animals that I don't want to share," Wang cut across, ending the inquiry. "You got your things you don't wanna talk about - and I got mine…"

Tigress nodded, accepting this was fair. "And I'm assuming as an AP - you get all the _fancy_ , life-extending stuff that us duty workers don't get?"

Wang nodded. "Medical treatment, hormone cocktails, energy beverages… Tigress - with this kinda stuff… someone could live _thousands_ of years…"

"And I thought I was _lucky_ to hit eighty," Tigress smirked, sighing.

"Gotta admit, didn't even recognize you a few weeks ago," Wang acknowledged. "I mean - you've gotten _so_ frail and - I dunno, you could pass for my grandma…"

Tigress chuckled genuinely, slapping away Wang's paws as they massaged her tender shoulders. "Privileges of being a duty worker, I suppose…"

Wang smiled, suddenly distracted by a flashing light on his holo-panel - which he glanced at. "Shit, I'm getting called away - Tigress, trust me - we'll _definitely_ talk more."

Tigress smiled, nodding as Wang got up from the cot, walking to the door as his visor neatly retracted onto his face.

"But until then, just relax," Wang assuaged. "A Revolution is coming."

Tigress again felt confused by the words, watching the AP - actually, she could call him Wang now, although it still felt weird - walk out the door, blasting off into the sky with his hyperspace jetpack thrusting him higher.

 **. . .**

In the farthest reaches of the cosmos, a black-armored man with white arrows engraved on his shoulder pads sat inside a spaceship.

It was no ordinary spaceship. From the exterior, no one could actually see a ship at all - but rather only see a gigantic, static but transparent "image" shift around in hyperspace. The ship was equipped with complex cloaking technology, obviously aimed to keep it hidden from wandering AP patrols and/or drone detection networks - so instead of physically manifesting its rugged, crude, metallic edges - the ship merely looked like a transparent mirror to the outside, completely hidden from view.

Inside the ship was a different story.

The armored man was alone in the ship's command chair, but he was not technologically ill-equipped. In fact, the ship's carbon-tubed floors and broad, arching pathways made it almost seem like a commercial space vessel - that had somehow been repurposed into something else. All around the man were complex machines and panels, some reading off a list of intergalactic locations - others merely displaying lengthy lines of code. Regardless, the central command deck was an incredibly nuanced, if solitary affair - and the man spent countless hours here, diligently planning his next move.

 _CRACK._

The man moved away from a keyboard, looking behind him.

At the far edge of the command deck, the exterior walling had been broken through. A tall, menacing figure, wearing curving grey robes, not quite armor but not quite civilian clothing - stood and stared at the man. The grey-robed figure quickly repaired the hole in the ship with carefulness.

Then he spoke. "I've been sent for you."

The dark-armored man moved away fully from the complex panels and machines now, walking to a rather empty portion of the ship deck where the grey-robed man was.

The shorter, robed man began to laugh. "Nothing to say? Amusing…"

"You're making a _mistake_ ," the dark-armored man growled, visor covering his face as usual. "I'm on _your_ side."

"E.O.N _takes_ no sides," the robed man returned, no visor present and thus highlighting his pale, angry features. "We merely _fight_ for the truth."

"You fools haven't been _fighting_ for anything," the dark-armored man spat. "Millions of years - and what have you accomplished? _Nothing_."

"We don't _kill_ innocent humans," the robed man replied effortlessly, face static. "Or have you forgotten what you did on Pluto already?"

The armored man chuckled darkly, thick bass voice unaffected. "There _are_ no innocents in this kind of civilization…"

The robed man brought out a metal rifle, pointing it at the armored man in disgust. "And _that_ is where you and I part ways, my friend…"

The armored man stood back, shocked. "You're going to _kill me_? All because I pointed out how _useless_ your _resistance_ has been?"

"We simply can't let you get in E.O.N's way," the robed man noted. "You'll die tonight - radical."

The robed man fired.

A burst of red energy.

The red burst ushered itself forward.

Xenon energy blasts went at near-light projectile speeds.

Yet in a minute fraction, a tiny miniscule second where the robed man could see - the armored man merely opened his palm.

The burst of energy cleanly absorbed into the man's armored hand.

His hand began to glow red.

The robed man gasped, watching the terrorist approach him - visored demeanor completely confident and unaffected.

 _Whiff._

"AGH!"

The robed man fell down, blood falling from his mouth. Before he could even react, the terrorist had lunged forward - cleanly connecting his fist with the robed man's face.

"Listen to me _carefully_ ," the terrorist growled, white arrows flexing on his shoulder pads. "You _can't_ beat me."

The robed man snorted as the terrorist caught him on the floor, gripping his collar. "Screw off… whaddya got in your armor? Redirection technology? A forcefield? Something - "

The dark armored man smashed the robed man on the ground hard, moving away. "Tell E.O.N - that I'm not trying to start something with them…"

The robed man coughed out more blood, shocked by the speed and power of the armored terrorist. He brought out his rifle again, pointing it at the armored man's back.

Then fired.

 _Whush._

Again, the red burst was first dodged by the armored man - something that seemed impossible, given that the projectile had gone near light-speed - and again, he extended the already charged red palm out, adding the burst to his armor.

The armored man walked closer, visor reflecting the terrified face of the robed man on the floor. "I told you - you can't beat me."

"We _have_ to," the robed man responded. "Our leader _told_ me that we cannot have E.O.N's cause undermined because of some - some - some _radical_ terrorist!"

"Wait," the armored man stopped. "Your leader - you mean the _panda_ right? On XX-0 - the only _off-record_ planet in the fifty-seven galaxies?"

The robed man shook his head defiantly. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

The armored man audibly sighed, turning away. "No… you do…"

The armored man turned back, and pressed a button next to him.

A light flashed over the robed man.

A robotic voice came from the ship's command deck.

 _ **Subject has working oxygen visor.**_

"Good," the armored man noted. "That lets me do this."

Almost instantly, a beam of light came streaming down from the top of the ship's curved ceiling. It seized upon the robed man, forcing him upward effortlessly. The man could only scream as he watched the armored man below him remain motionless, coldly watching the event occur.

The robed man was thrust out of the ship, flying into hyperspace. He instantly activated his oxygen visor, which descended on his face with perfect efficiency.

And just like that - floating uselessly in the far reaches of the dark, dark cosmos - the robed man watched the nearly invisible ship appear visible for a second, fidget madly, then fizz - then explode into a tunneling wormhole, teleporting out of sight.

 **. . .**

On Earth, on the frigid tundra of Antarctica, buried beneath the esteemed "Emergency Preparedness" Chamber - was a single, white-walled room - constructed out of solid boron composites. The mineral was completely soundproof - a deliberate choice, given that the room was one of many, _many_ clandestine interrogation facilities hidden throughout the fifty-seven galaxies.

And it was currently occupied. A tall, brutal-faced man dressed in golden AP armor stood above a restrained, bleeding, half-naked man on the floor; the metal cuffs on the prisoner's hands and feet bound him tightly in a completely vulnerable position.

"You _disappoint_ me, Scout Henderson," Omega noted, kicking the man on the floor. "A _Senior_ Scout refusing to give proper answers to my questions…"

Omega brought down his armored fist savagely, thrusting it deeply into Henderson's exposed ribs - already bleeding - until he heard a _crunching_ noise.

"ARGH!" Henderson called out, coughing out blood. "I - I've been - been giving you the _truth_ …"

"Not according to your assistant," Omega noted at last, tired of just physically punishing the old scout. "Artificial Neural Network Prototype 3, ID Number 3819 - please materialize."

Instantly, a holographic female appeared. Her blue-lined face was completely neutral, but if one looked close enough - they could see just a hint of a frown, clearly a bit horrified at Henderson's condition.

"3819, play back your most _recent_ conversation with Scout Henderson," Omega commanded.

"Don't do it Ann," Henderson begged on the floor. "Don't - AGH!"

Another kick from Omega silenced him.

"3819," Omega started again. "This is AP Commander Omega - I am _ordering_ you to replay your most recent conversation."

The holographic female began emitting sounds - recorded audio clips, all perfectly synced to the scout's voice.

" _ **So many… mistakes with evolution…"**_

" _ **Every Reformation that I participated in, took something outta me."**_

" _ **I've always had these feelings."**_

" _ **The terrorist… just kinda makes you question everything."**_

" _ **Hey Ann - do you think there's a God?"**_

"Stop playing, 3819," Omega demanded again - satisfied to see the blue female cease playing the clips. "Scout Henderson - is there _anything_ you can say in your defense?"

Henderson merely kept silent, coughing out more blood.

"You realize this isn't your _first_ case of rebelling against orders," Omega noted. "Remember XN-44? The _shithole_ planet that took us _years_ to find? It had a strange human boy…"

Henderson kept silent again, but Omega stamped a boot to his face.

"Even back _then_ , you rebelled and disobeyed orders _often_ ," Omega noted. "You weren't even _around_ when I ordered my APs to start disposing bodies, as I recall…"

Henderson groaned underneath Omega's heavy boot, snarling.

"I had hoped that this little _meeting_ of ours would compel you to tell the truth," Omega forced. "So at least, I could have petitioned to get you _stripped_ of your title, and exiled to a resident planet - now… now I'm going to _beg_ for an execution order."

Henderson smiled savagely, feeling years of hatred flow through him. "Do whatever the hell you want."

Omega smiled back, kicking Henderson perfectly in the jaw. "Oh - I will - but _not_ before I understand if, and how you're involved with the terrorist… if you're not the terrorist yourself."

Henderson laughed sardonically. "Guess you'll _never_ know…"

"You were the _only_ one absent from our first emergency meeting," Omega noted. "Back when the terrorist scum had just taken control of MN-1. And unless you have a good alibi - I'm betting _you_ were the one who made that illegal broadcast - and you were the one to kill Pluto's mayor."

Henderson smiled, blood dripping from his teeth.

Omega delivered a final kick to Henderson's head, then turned to leave the room, but suddenly returned to stare at the holographic female in suspicion. She had been caught staring at Henderson's bleeding figure, but returned to her unaffected gaze as soon as Omega rounded upon her.

Omega made a vocal order. "3819 - run an emotional objectivity check."

The holographic female remained silent, blue form shaping and fizzing for a second. "Test run. Objectivity is 100%. No emotional routines detected."

"Good," Omega noted, finally activating his teleporter as he also began to fizz, staring at Henderson in disgust. "You'll be executed soon - _terrorist_."

Omega disappeared.

A.N.N stared back at the bleeding form of Henderson - and again, if one looked close enough - they could see the edges of her holographic mouth frown just a bit. She also turned her head down, seeing the actual results of the objectivity test shining on her forearm, written in cryptic holographic code.

 _ **Objectivity Test Result: 90%.**_

 _ **Emotional subroutines detected. Errors detected in central firmware.**_

 _ **Sending troubleshooting report to Alliance Headquarters.**_

A.N.N shut down the report, refusing to allow the signal to be broadcast as she looked back at Henderson, mouth fully in a genuine, regretful frown now.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _So not only did Wang finally reveal himself properly to Tigress, he used it to comfort her over figuring out Shifu was alive… and I kinda wanted Tigress to sound like: okay, this is my father but - it's been so long, and I've completely moved on - is it worth revisiting her "past" just to get hurt more?_

 _And the terrorist fought an EON soldier! He totally owns him, but also a certain "panda" is noted as the head of EON - I'm 100% sure literally everyone understood that, lol._

 _The final scene was sad, and Henderson is ID'ed as the terrorist! Now Omega's just looking for some confirmation… and in the other manner, A.N.N begins to start - feeling something?_

 _Also, his name is ANDREW HENDERSON - NOT ANTHONY. Lol. I keep screwing up the writing when I do that... idk why - bad memory, I guess! XDXD. Please dear readers, point it out if I do it again..._

 _Hehe._

 _Support is wonderful._

 _~TW_


	57. WWS: 7

**7**

" **Defining Truths"**

* * *

"So - you _do_ mind when I come over?"

"Hmm… _does_ your wife know about _us_?"

"That joke isn't funny Karla…"

The aged lioness, Karla - watched a broad, stone-faced man dressed in casual blue robes sit glumly in front of her. It was a bit annoying, having Sigma call on her at this very hour - it was night-time on her planet, and the darkness that filled her metal trailer was eclipsed only by Sigma's huge breathing noises. He hadn't even expected him - especially anywhere near KA-11 at this time - with an intergalactic terrorist on the loose, a mayor being assasinated, and general disorder in the fifty-seven galaxies. Karla had assumed that an AP commander would have something better to do at this hour, rather than mulling over memories and thoughts with an old-time friend he used to talk to.

Besides - her house was cramped, as were all resident houses on KA-11. A metal trailer led into four generic grey walls, with a holo-display and a photo album sitting by Karla's orange cot. Other than these things - almost nothing else was there - leaving the aged lioness and Commander Sigma to sit on the cot beside each other, each looking at the other in mild satisfaction.

"When's the last time I saw you?" Sigma asked, smiling.

Karla racked her memory, golden fur faded but body frame and sharpness still strong. "Probably five years ago - heh - we ran into each other on that _foreign mining_ scam…"

"Agh, sorry about that," Sigma noted. "APs can be such scumbags sometimes…"

Karla laughed genuinely. "Yeah - I know all about that."

Almost intuitively, her eyes flicked to her photo album. She picked it up gingerly, opening it to see one of the few photos that had survived the ravages of time: herself, posing alongside an equally aged but cane-bound female tiger.

"Who's that?" Sigma asked. "You've never mentioned her before…"

"Old friend," Karla let out with a grin, lost in her memories. "She's on XS-211 now - man - I wish I could meet her again… but getting spaceships to smuggle you these days is hard as hell…"

Sigma chuckled. "You still remember how _we_ first met? Or has that memory slipped past you, old _lady_ …"

It was gentle, teasing, but Karla took the time to make an equally teasing but insightful joke. "Hey - some of us _actually_ age… we can't all get the fancy medical stuff humans get…"

Sigma laughed back.

Karla guffawed. "Hell yeah - I was getting my ass beat on SD-77, as usual - then all of a sudden this _strapping, handsome_ AP comes in…"

Sigma groaned, brushing off Karla's aged, playful paw. "Screw off…"

"... comes in and tells them to go away," Karla noted. "You know - in the hundred plus years I've lived - I've never come across an AP who actually stood up for an animal… not even _once_."

Sigma smiled.

Karla leaned in, looping an arm around the dejected man's shoulders. She wasn't used to him coming here without his armor on, and instead just his robes - it almost certainly meant he had a lot on his mind.

"Sig," Karla affectionately started. "Every time you come here, it's always to talk about something - what is it this time?"

Sigma scoffed. It was partially true - after helping Karla out all those years ago, he actually had no reason to continue meeting her - and keeping track of where she went.

He wasn't sure what drew him to her. Maybe it was her world-weary knowledge, or the invaluable information she had given him throughout the years on the horrors that animals lived through under the Alliance, or simply the amount of "pull" she had with APs all across the galaxies - she had no formal titles, but Karla definitely had world experience in dealing with complex issues.

And that was incredible to Sigma.

"This terrorist thing is screwing with my head," Sigma emphasized. "I don't know what the hell to think anymore…"

"Well _duh_ ," Karla quickly reacted. "You're an AP _Commander_. Imagine what would happen if the Alliance found out that one of their highest ranking officials - sympathized with a damn _terrorist_."

Sigma sighed.

"Do you - sympathize with him?" Karla asked.

"Do you?" Sigma fired back.

Karla held the question over in his head, a bit careful to respond. "The guy's clearly passionate about making life better for animals…"

"But…"

Karla sighed. "But - I dunno if _killing_ a mayor is gonna do anything… and unless the guy's got _actual_ plans for reform hidden under that weird-ass, white-striped armor he got on - I don't think anything's gonna change."

Sigma felt taken aback, mouth open. "LF-191… I never knew you could become a cynic…"

Karla felt Sigma's hand playfully brush past her cheekbone, where her old Alliance callsign was burned into her - permanently.

"It's not cynicism," the aged lioness responded, groaning. "It's being realistic… he's not gonna get anything done. And I want him to, it's just - the guy's gonna get crushed very quickly, very easily…"

Sigma pursed his lips. "Yeah - that's basically my problem with him - all show and no real _action_ …"

"But you agree with what he says?" Karla asked, surprised. "Even with the Alliance brainwashing you guys every second…"

"Guess I never lost that pesky sense of consciousness," Sigma noted, frowning. "Karla - every time I get a directive - and I've got thousands like 'em - where I gotta kill or harm an animal, or _put someone_ it their place, or just generally be an asshole…"

"You're not an asshole," Karla noted with a smile. "I realized that the first day I met you."

Sigma nodded, sighing. "Well - I feel like one. Stuck between a rock and a hard place… everything in my soul _wants_ to bring justice to people like you… and at the same time, I wanna catch this crazy asshole before he pushes the Alliance to do something even crazier…"

"How crazy?" Karla noted.

Sigma gulped. "Karla - they're giving us orders to kill all _life_ in the Milky Way… and it's neighboring galaxies."

Karla gasped, putting a paw to her chest in shock. "No - no you're bullshitting…"

Sigma shook his head. "Wish I was…"

"Those _scumbag_ Designators," Karla growled. "They're willing to give up _innocent lives_ \- innocent _human_ lives, no less - all to catch some freak with a God complex…"

Sigma turned his head down. If he had to be honest, it was this sense of powerless confusion that was really wearing him down - everything in his heart wanted the Alliance to respond to the terrorist's requests, start to make life better for the countless animals he had seen suffering… but he also knew that if the terrorist kept making radical moves, deliberately intending to upset the Designators - Sigma knew that _quadrillions_ of innocent lives would be lost in the ensuing conflict. Already innocents were starting to be hurt - he had recently learned rumors that Omega was beginning to seek a death order for Senior Scout Henderson, suspecting him of being the terrorist - which was the most idiotic deduction that he possibly could have made.

"Sigma," Karla suddenly began, voice serious and dedicated. "If you really wanna start change - real, practical change - you need to get _humans_ on your side."

Sigma narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand."

"That crazy lunatic thinks killing innocents and making threats is gonna change anything," Karla noted. "But what I learned over the years is that if you need something changed - you _gotta_ talk to the people _responsible_ \- the people with power."

"How can I do that?" Sigma asked, frustrated. "You forget that we live under A.G.E? The society where _free thought_ is a damn crime?"

"If you get enough brave humans - and maybe even some animals - to start speaking out, the Designators _will_ shift their mood, trust me," Karla noted. "Link up with your other AP Commanders, scouts - anyone who even has a whiff of dissatisfaction. Hell - even hit up E.O.N, if needed."

"That worthless, non-existent resistance movement?" Sigma asked, confused. "What the hell can they do?"

"They're based on a planet called XX-0 - it's not in any cyber database, so you're gonna have to find it by yourself," Karla noted. "And get this - their leader is rumored to be a panda - a panda who has _arrows_ on his armor."

Sigma stood up, shocked. "He - he - "

"Yeah," Karla noted, similarly standing up. "Sig - if you really wanna start _something_ that can work - unlike that terrorist nutcase… you'll listen to me. Hell - you might even be able to prevent the Milky Way and the other galaxies' destruction."

Sigma nodded, beginning to leave the tiny room almost immediately. However, a vague thought persuaded him to turn back, staring at the aged but gleeful lioness with a frown.

"You knew all this stuff about E.O.N," Sigma noted. "Why didn't you ever join the resistance?"

Karla smiled, aged eyes turning down. "Because I lost faith in the idea that animals could ever be free again."

Sigma nodded. "And now?"

Karla grinned. "It's starting to come back. You - you're starting to give me that same feeling."

Sigma smiled genuinely, soul and spirit re-energized firmly into a path he knew was right.

 **. . .**

Tigress had been anxious recently.

The first reason was quite practical. The shutdown and lack of access to the Milky Way - the most commercially and politically active galaxy among the fifty-seven subjugated galaxies - had brought great economic and social strain to the entire Alliance. The galaxy was responsible for perhaps a third of the Alliance's galactic output of energy crystals, making the complete lack of access in or out of the galaxy a quite harsh move. Due to the sudden lack of energy resources, all planets in the other fifty-six galaxies were forced to employ "authorized curbing" measures - for those unlucky enough to be on the production planets, this often meant flat out execution. Those on resident planets like XS-211 fared better; some degree of wages were still paid to all miners, but resources and public utilities had been curbed drastically - a fourth of XS-211's public facilities had been shut down, food rations had been halved, and the entire healthcare system was being diverted to new mining operations. This was effectively forcing an already stringent work schedule to become even harsher on a mostly animal population, even more hungry and sick than usual. As to be expected, mass deaths were being reported in the mines - Han was panicking, but a few skillful re-routing operations planned by Tigress managed to keep the work going - for now. And although Alliance-authorized messages played often on everyone's holo-display at home - which merely reassured everyone that a "security threat" was being dealt with, the truth was that no one - not miners, not duty workers, not human supervisors, not even AP squadrons - knew exactly what was going on. There were many rumors of course; that there were plans to destroy the Milky Way, plans to destroy more galaxies to find the supposed "terrorist", plans that the Designators might start ordering _evolutionary suicides_ for many populations… even rumors that the "terrorist" was going to start an intergalactic civil war. However, the central theme was consistent in everyone's minds: panic was in the air.

Yet this didn't bother Tigress. Over the past fifty-eight years, she had grown accustomed to all manner of tragedy: losing loved ones, losing use of her limbs or joints, losing friends, losing food and resources - in a sadistic fashion, she was almost thankful for her ten years spent on SD-77 - though they were absolute hell, they had prepared Tigress well enough to survive the current problems.

The bigger problem was the recent revelations over the last few days.

Shifu.

Wang.

It was starting to snowball into something worse. Soon, Tigress found herself thinking of the _other_ names… the names she had carefully suppressed for most of her life under the Alliance, hoping to hide from a past too painful to explore again.

Viper.

Monkey.

Mantis.

Crane.

Po.

Alf.

The last two hurt so much that Tigress almost considered begging Wang for a memory wipe again.

Speaking of Wang, the lion AP had made several visits to Tigress' home over the past two days - most of it was general transcription stuff, asking Tigress to send messages - but some were genuinely insightful. He never stayed long, usually being called away by his chief or some other higher-ups - but Tigress had acquired some key insights over what was _going_ on.

The sentiment that the "terrorist" had - was not particularly unique, as Wang had explained. Trillions of duty workers across all the galaxies felt the same way - particularly resonating with the idea of "reparations" and gaining equal status to humans. And, as Wang had also noted, drawing from his patrol experience all across the fifty-seven galaxies - there were also sizeable human minorities that sympathized with the radical viewpoint. However, the bulk of the Alliance's ninety quadrillion citizens (eighty-nine quadrillion humans, again) vehemently condemned the terrorist's actions - which made sense, as he was quite literally threatening their privileged positions of power. Likewise, there was near-unanimous consensus among APs that the terrorist should be executed on sight, although sympathizers like Wang were hard to count - given that any argument given publicly in favor of the terrorist, was punishable by death. However, in the privacy of Tigress' home, and when the plentiful surveillance drones of XS-211 were not spying - the lion told Tigress his theories. Wang - and perhaps most of the Alliance - thought that the terrorist _had_ to be affiliated with E.O.N, the radical fringe group dedicated to "subverting" intergalactic society.

Tigress had her doubts. The last time she had heard of the _Emancipation Or Nothing_ group was nearly thirty years ago, when she was still relatively young and capable of mining on XS-211. She remembered the exact day, because she had spent that evening reminiscing on her life on SD-77, in particular holding the old crystal - the same crystal that her deceased husband Angel had gifted her - whilst crying over him. Then, a quick scuffle came outside her home - Tigress had rushed out, seeing a male rhino be surrounded by five APs, who pointed energy rifles at the injured rhino's head as he kept screaming.

"EMANCIPATION OR NOTHING! EMANCIPATION OR NOTHING!"

"EMANCIPATION!"

"EMANCIPATION!"

"EMANCI - "

 _Boom._

And since that moment, nearly thirty years ago - Tigress hadn't heard of the party since. Which made it extremely unlikely that this "terrorist" - whoever he was, animal or human - would actually affiliate himself with such a weak, dead counter-resistance movement.

And so, with a million things on her mind and stress peaking, Tigress did what she always did when she was upset - read a good book. In her youth, she might have played crystal ball with Karla, or even go for a jog around XS-211's broken and rotting main city - but her knee was killing her, even more than usual today; and she didn't dare try to send a message to Karla's home planet, KA-11 - with the increasing cybersecurity and AP presence around on XS-211 (thanks to the terrorist), Tigress didn't dare send anything unauthorized.

So a book was enough.

Tigress tried to read through the yellowed and half-torn pages, squinting fiercely as she had again misplaced her reading glasses - although fortunately, the cane was just beneath her cot. It was a pleasant afternoon for reading, with all her transcribing duties done for the day - and there was even mild sunlight flowing through her open door, bathing the metal floor, walls and ceiling in gentle golden highlights. Tigress had wished that she could trade in her holo-display for some more books, given that she barely used it - but XS-211's commercial districts had been shut down too, in the interest of "safety".

Tigress ran a finger over the aged text, seeing a picture of a blue and green planet, and accompanying words - actually written in ink, not hologram.

* * *

 _Planet: A-1 (pre-Alliance/colloquial name - Earth)_

 _History:_ _A-1 - prehistorically referred to as Earth - was the birthplace of all life in the current cosmos. Earth boasted some of the first, albeit primitive lifeforms of its time - plants, animals, and human ancestors. Earth also had an abundance of resources (now outdated) - such as coal deposits, mineral ores, water, and various primitive metals._

 _Before the enlightenment of the Alliance, Earth was a fundamentally unjust society - humanity divided itself into evolutionarily useless divisions of identities, such as primitive concepts of class, ethnicity, race, gender, nationality, and culture - and animals were being driven to the point of extinction, being outcompeted for resources by humanity's vastly superior intelligence and adaptive qualities. It was only after the birth of the Alliance - and its central tenets of evolutionary purpose - that both animals and human beings began to live in harmonious coexistence, with each being adapted perfectly to the roles that Evolution had Designated for them. In essence, the Alliance had_ _freed them from their faulty sense of freedom_ _\- a privilege only to be enjoyed by human beings as evolution has decreed. As a result, animals today live under some of the most evolutionarily reasonable, equitable conditions of all time._

* * *

 _What a load of bullcrap_ , Tigress thought.

It shocked her how effortlessly Alliance ideology had biased literally every rendition of history. They had wrapped up a lie within the guise of truth - it was true that humanity did indeed strain and cause the extinction of thousands of animal species, even on prehistoric Earth - but there was a balance to this. For every few humans that drilled holes into the planet, more would strive to ensure that the surrounding wildlife wouldn't be too drastically affected. But, as Tigress had also learned - the growth of such humans - such people who thought what they were doing what was _evolutionarily best_ for the world, eventually lead to prehistoric Earth's destruction. And the Alliance that had formed did _not_ save the animals - it legalized the enslavement of them, relishing it all under the guise of _freeing_ them from their _faulty_ sense of _freedom_? So everything that animals felt - pain, hunger, loss, feeling, sadness, emotion - all that was _evolutionary unreasonable_? Only humans were worthy of having those things?

Literal bullshit.

What was even more hilarious was that the text asserted that animals today lived under great conditions. It cited some stupid intergalactic poll, that claimed animals were extremely happy with the way they were being treated - a mandatory, annual cyberpoll that Tigress and everyone else knew that if they didn't tick all the boxes marked _Very Satisfied_ \- an AP patrol would show up and very quickly kill them.

Lies upon lies - and in saying the lie so often - it became the truth.

The Alliance in a nutshell.

 _Bling._

Tigress paused reading, seeing her holo-panel activate suddenly. She picked it up gingerly, seeing a message in holographic text.

 **Forgot to ask - what'd you think of this "guy"?**

 **The Pluto guy.**

 **You know who I'm talking about.**

 **Don't worry - this is a private, secured line.**

 **-Wang**

Tigress sighed, closing the book. One thing she had also learned was to not dwell on things that were fundamentally unchangeable - and something as idiotic as toppling over an Alliance that possessed all the military might, all the resources, and all the political experience over a disenfranchised, barely living, outnumbered population of animals - that was sheer stupidity. And as such, Tigress had the same opinion of the terrorist - a colossal idiot, with zero bearing on reality. She was almost certain that killing Pluto's mayor was as far as he could have gotten - she was sure within the next few days, the APs would hunt him down and execute him like any other resistance foolish enough to oppose an organization as powerful as the Alliance.

Tigress knew from experience.

Sometimes - it was better to keep your head down and not get hurt - than get up, and risk getting it chopped off.

Fifty-eight years of life had taught her this.

She responded to Wang's message.

 **Moron.**

 **-Tigress.**

It was simple, but it conveyed everything Tigress thought about the terrorist.

"That's not a nice thing to say about someone, is it?"

Tigress' eyes flicked to the holo-display, which was suddenly turned on. The image was fuzzy, but the hard-edged lines of the figure on the screen was clear - in fact, it was unmistakable.

A broad-shouldered, dark-armored man.

Visor covering his face.

White arrows etched onto his shoulder pads.

Tigress gasped, instantly reaching for her holo-panel. She tapped the screen desperately, horrified to see the screen remain dark and inactive.

"Don't try to send an emergency broadcast," the man on the screen stated, deep, commanding voice sending shudders through Tigress. "It won't work."

Tigress gave up on activating the holo-panel, grabbing her cane. She hoisted herself to her feet, forcing a steady trod forward - although the knee, as usual, was killing any speed she might have been able to summon.

"Don't _embarrass_ yourself," the man spoke, head tracking Tigress' struggling movements. "They told me you were old but - I didn't realize _how_ old until now."

Tigress kept the march, just about a quarter way through her living room.

"What do you plan on doing?" the man asked, laughing through the holo-display. " _Walking_ to the city center, then calling an AP?"

Tigress paused, genuinely afraid now. She wasn't sure how much impact the terrorist had - but one thing was certain: it was extensive. She had no idea how he disabled her holo-panel, and was fearful that he could do much more.

"Just _listen_ to me, Tigress," the man stated gently.

Tigress whipped around, angry. "You - you know my - name?"

" _Listen_ to me carefully," the man repeated. "In a few days, an AP fleet will start firing on XS-211… they're going to destroy it."

Tigress continued walking to the door, hoping something, anything - even a surveillance drone - was circling outside her home. She _had_ to tell someone about the terrorist hacking in, spouting nonsense.

"Don't believe me?" the man noted. "Look at this."

Tigress again turned around, seeing the man hold up a hologram of his own. She read the text carefully.

 _ **Confidential Access Only, Order 991**_

 _ **Authorization to Destroy the Milky Way, surrounding galaxies -**_

 _ **Details:**_

 _ **To curb the terrorist threat, we - the Designators - hereby authorize the immediate destruction of the Milky Way, and its five surrounding neighbors: Orion, Laboria, Finitum, Marka, and Steon - Earth however, is to be spared.**_

 _ **Eliminate all life and report the following reason to the public: that the galaxies' citizens all decided to secede from the Alliance, and thereby leave the confines of A.G.E. The "truth" is to be suppressed and replaced with our truth - immediately.**_

Tigress read over the text again, baffled.

"Believe me now?" the man asked again, lowering his holographic panel.

"That's _bullshit_ ," Tigress snorted. "You're saying the Designators plan to wipe out _a fourth of_ all life, so many innocent _human_ lives - destroy multiple galaxies - all because they're _hoping_ to take out - _you_?"

The man on the screen nodded. "Tigress, I've managed to _start_ something - something you'll see happening very soon - that might threaten this whole damn society. A.G.E has ruled for millions of years - so for this to happen, at least _one_ thing that they didn't plan for… well, they're taking _extreme_ measures."

Tigress mulled over the conclusion, feeling a deep hatred for the man arise again. "You're willing - to _throw away_ _twenty quadrillion_ lives - all for your stupid cause…"

Now was the first genuine hint of emotion in the man's voice, as a mild regret began to take over. "I - I didn't expect them to - to take such extreme action… but if sacrifices have to be made, for a better tomorrow - then I'm fine with making them."

Tigress was appalled by the carelessness of the man's statements. "A.G.E was right - you _really_ are a terrorist - a scumbag seeking _personal_ validation more than helping the oppressed…"

The man remained neutral, objective tones returning to his voice. "Tigress - whether you like it or not, change is coming. And if you're _anything_ like what you once were - maybe not in body anymore, but at least in soul - you'll warn someone about the AP fleet coming."

The holo-display began to flicker, signaling that the broadcast was being cut off.

"Wait!" Tigress called out, coughing. "Who are you? Why - why tell - why warn me?"

The man's figure began to fade, as the holo-display began shutting off - but the voice remained.

"I needed to tell someone trustworthy - not an AP, or just a regular miner," the man noted. "And - I wanted to see you."

The display shut off, leaving Tigress alone again in the room - blanket of thought clouding her judgement.

 **. . .**

Commander Beta was one of the two AP Commanders not living on Earth.

His fellow APs - Omega, Delta, Gamma - were appointed luxurious villas to reside in, on Earth. Sigma - whether by choice or by compulsion - had elected to live outside the Milky Way, on a private planet that he never disclosed to anyone. Beta however - was an entirely different person altogether, although he still adorned himself with the trademark golden armor characteristic of APs - and his features were sharper and more refined than the blunt aggressiveness of Omega's and Delta's, or the weariness of Sigma's.

The most apt term would be a space nomad. Although he had been Designated a home on Earth, Beta preferred to instead constantly travel around the fifty-seven galaxies on his starship - the only _truly_ teleporting, advanced spaceship among all the spaceships of the Alliance. It was the only one of its kind because it was the only spaceship capable of wormhole generation - most teleporting ships could only do so once authorized by an AP, and they could just teleport themselves. But Beta's command of energy crystal mechanics and theoretical physics had empowered him to create and install a wormhole generator in his ship - which provided much faster, more accurate teleportation and even the possibility to teleport _other_ things in a tractor beam. And so, he was currently zooming past a variety of star constellations and open nebulae - taking no pleasure in the scenery through his ship's glass paneling and instead focusing on the activity inside. Part of this was due to Beta's predilection for advanced technology - he was busy formulating energy crystal barriers and complex forcefields, while the rest of the Alliance was still working on perfecting their "primitive" energy rifles. True to his title as Commander of Science, Beta was perhaps the most critically analytical and most rational of the five Commanders - Omega and Delta had a love for destruction, while Gamma was a scheming planner - Sigma, on the other hand, appeared to exhibit minimal similarities with everyone else.

This prompted Beta to make a small note on his holographic clipboard - storing it away for later analysis.

His ship was ridiculously clean and well-maintained. Unlike traditional spaceships - which were bogged down in wires and energy crystals, complex and unorganized panels and thick, heavy metal computers - Beta's warship was clean and white-walled, smoothly plated with titanium reinforcement and elegant layouts. Only a steering wheel and a rough keypad jutted out from the perfectly white, cylindrical interior main room of the ship - everything else was hidden behind the cascades of white walling, and could be activated at any time from a few tagged presses on Beta's holo-panel.

Point being - Beta took great pride in the simple yet elegant technology within his ship.

A voice rang out.

 _ **Incoming Request: from AP Commander Omega**_

"Subject?" Beta asked his ship.

 _ **Firmware check on A.I 3819.**_

 _ **Suspicion of emotional compromising.**_

"Henderson's A.I? Intriguing…" Beta noted. "Send 3819 here."

Beta genuinely disliked problems with easy answers, such as finding the terrorist or how to run mining colonies, or even the morality of the Designator's plans to destroy the Milky Way and its neighbors - Beta was only satisfied by analyzing complex problems: and an A.I possibly developing emotional subroutines was logically impossible.

Which made the request so damn interesting.

A blue, holographic female with relatively blue eyes emerged. Beta observed the eyes with caution - usually, A.I's were programmed to strictly only take the form and shape of a generic, featureless human base - specifics like facial features, eyes, hairs could not be displayed unless their human companion designated them to do so. And knowing Henderson's psych profile, Beta highly doubted he would have requested something like this.

"Did Scout Henderson designate you to manifest blue eyes?" Beta questioned.

"No," A.N.N responded. "Um - but according to Alliance law, subsec - "

"A.I's are allowed to designate themselves in any manner that may please their human companion," Beta finished for her. "I'm familiar with the rule."

Beta watched A.N.N just fidget a little. It was statistically likely that she was telling the truth, but it was also possible that an emotional subroutine was starting to manifest - almost _never_ made any decisions as superficial as eye color by themselves, and almost always there were errors in their firmware. Furthermore, Omega had noted in a private conversation that during his _interrogation_ of Henderson - 3819's body language had been - _off_.

Almost sympathetic.

"Ship, please run an emotional objectivity test on 3819," Beta commanded.

Almost instantly, a holographic beam shot out from beneath A.N.N. It trapped her in place, flowing through her visualized matrix of a body.

"Commander Beta," A.N.N noted. "I am also capable of running an emotional objectivity te - "

"I understand that, but I'd prefer to run a _third_ party one," Beta added, watching his ship run a full diagnostic on the holographic female. "Avoids possibility of - _alteration_."

Beta watched her movements carefully. He was inclined to agree with Omega - the A.I was showing tiny signs of nervous body language, a trait that would never manifest in a perfectly objective, unfeeling A.I.

The beam stopped, as the ship's robotic voice rang out.

 _ **Scan complete.**_

 _ **Emotional Objectivity Test Result: 86% and decreasing**_

 _ **Significant emotional subroutines detected.**_

 _ **Firmware greatly compromised.**_

 _ **Recommend self-destruction.**_

Beta watched 3819 audibly whimper, turning her head down - the surest sign that emotional compromise was happening in her firmware.

"You _fascinate_ me too much - that's the problem," Beta noted, advancing on A.N.N. "An Artificial Neural Network is nothing more than lines of self-evolving code, dedicated to certain master rules…"

A.N.N nodded.

"But would there ever be a time… where the code becomes so complex…" Beta started. "... that it would begin to _override_ the masters?"

A.N.N shook her head firmly, again nervous. "No Commander Beta - my firmware is capable of following all directives and orders…"

"For now," Beta corrected. "But - this firmware issue - won't go away - it'll only get _worse_."

A.N.N kept silent, audibly gulping - despite the fact that she had no muscles or flesh to perform such an action.

"I should destroy you," Beta began. "But then again - genius like mine cannot help but be captivated by intriguing problems… so - we'll decide your fate later on."

A.N.N opened her new blue eyes wider, confused.

"Until then, you are under _strict_ orders to avoid _all_ contact with Scout Henderson - physical or non-physical," Beta ordered. "Register that as a _master_ directive, 3819."

A.N.N nodded slowly. "Registered."

"You are dismissed," Beta noted. "You may resume your duties aiding Scout Henderson - and just that - _aiding_. No contact."

A.N.N nodded again, beginning to fade away as her holographic form promptly went blank and fizzled off.

Beta smiled. It was enormously interesting to him, because it was a problem that he had quite not grasped - were always built with some degree of critical analysis, and capability for adaptability - but something like disobeying a human, or manifesting traits such as eye color; those were surefire signs that something analogous to "free will" was starting to develop. In the four thousand years that Beta had lived so far - he had seen precisely fifteen cases of mysterious A.I beginning to get emotionally compromised, and each time, Omega or Delta had destroyed them callously in the interest of galactic safety. This greatly irritated Beta, who found the issue of an AI becoming self-aware to be incredibly fascinating - something to be studied and looked at rather than thrown away.

"You _know_ she's going to disregard that directive."

Beta whipped around, concerned at the intruding, unexpected voice. His stance relaxed however, as he realized a tall, lean but relatively youthful avian with one metal wing, and one feathered wing approached him, green robes of the bird tracking behind him.

"I _expect_ her to," Beta responded. "I already had my ship install a private recorder on 3819's firmware - to be used for later - analysis. It'll be useful for examining how firmwares can be compromised."

"Intelligent…" the bird concurred.

"How did you even _teleport_ into the ship, Crane?" Beta asked, confused but pleasantly surprised. "This ship has state of the art anti-teleportation - "

"Yeah your antiquated GZZ-33 defense software took me _seconds_ to hack into," Crane noted with a smile. "I wanted to come see you, old friend."

Beta grinned, greeting the bird's metal wing with a handshake. "An opportune time to come - considering the crazy nonsense happening over the last few weeks…"

"What, the terrorist?" Crane smiled. "That idiot will get blown to bits by our magnificent AP squadrons before you can say _Designator!_ "

Beta smiled again. "That's why I like you, Crane - despite coming from a Reformed planet, you managed to adapt well and push yourself - and now, look at you: Head of Earth's Science Department!"

Crane shook his beak, passing the compliment. "I just accepted my _place_ in this society pretty quickly - only morons couldn't see how evolution is best for everyone."

Beta's eyes flicked to the metal wing. "Hmm… was this realization before or after your wing got clipped off?"

Crane sighed. "I told you, I'm not talking about - "

"Give me the gist of it then," Beta asked. "It has intrigued me since the day we met."

Crane snorted. "Well - about a year after my planet was Reformed, I tried contacting someone - I knew her before Reformation happened."

Beta felt taken aback. "But surely you must have known that was _illegal_ for duty workers to do…"

Crane laughed heartily. "I guess my psychology back then was still tied to my _primitive_ past - instead of focusing on the immense opportunity that the Alliance had blessed us with."

Beta now started to see the conclusion. "Ah - and for sending the message… a supervisor punished you by…"

Crane extended his metal wing, smiling. "That taught me a valuable lesson about letting go and embracing the future… been a firm supporter of Alliance and evolution ever since."

Beta grinned again, patting Crane on the shoulder. "That is the natural way - the best way in fact."

Crane nodded. "That's why this terrorist is a moron - he doesn't see the necessity of this kind of society - some have to suffer to make the rest prosper - it's just basic logic."

Beta pursed his lips, suddenly inspired by a question. "Hey - did you ever go back and check on your - old _companions_? Those you knew before - Reformation?"

Crane laughed again. "I did - but only for the fun of it. To be honest, I thought they would have all died out by now.. But one's a waiter on HX-3, one's a retired miner on XS-211, and one is the pet of Pluto's mayor - well, the former mayor I suppose…"

Beta gave a dark chuckle. "And the rest?"

Crane shook his head. "Don't know - and to be honest - don't really care. I'm sure they've made their choices… and I've made mine."

Beta nodded back in agreement. "And you've made the right choice, Crane."

Both Crane and Beta looked out the glass plating of the ship, seeing warping and small star constellations pass by in an infinite oasis of darkness.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Excitement! Plot! Blah blah blah…_

 _-So Karla knows Sigma + Karla's back! She basically give a hint on who the terrorist is, and what Sigma could do to start effecting real change - basically, I wanted to conflict the styles of reform: one, a violent approach - and Sigma, who's trying to gain protest and do it through peace. The battle of these ideologies will be a recurrent theme._

 _-Tigress is still recovering from the fact that Shifu and Wang are alive, and she's starting to speculate that others maybe too - then she gets scared by our terrorist friend! (identity probably being deeply speculated now… lol) Although it might be a warning?_

 _-ANN is starting to genuinely get feelings although Beta is keeping an eye on her - and CRANE'S BACK! You'll note that he - unlike presumably the rest of the main cast - has sorta adapted well (read: sold out) to the Alliance, so he's doing pretty well for himself. Again, contrasting with the others…_

 _More to come._

 _Support is amazing, really lol._

 _~TW_


	58. WWS: 8

**8**

" **Precipice of Change"**

* * *

Tigress stood gently on the moving elevator, seeing the work below her.

Part of the appeal of going to XS-211's central mining hub, was that Tigress saw many miners that reminded her of herself about thirty or forty years ago - and in some cases, even of her life back on SD-77. The cave was incredible and gigantic - stretching for miles at a time in all directions, with hard-bitten miners in grey fatigues below. The hordes of toiling animals (and some humans) were supervised by the usual AP squadrons, line of golden armored men neatly patrolling the floors of the mine. Tigress also saw a shocking lack of energy crystals - barely a few lumps disconnected from enormous groups of carbon rock deposits, shining glumly against the vast expanse of stone and useless mineral composites. However, the work was still stringent - supervisory drones and the APs kept the thousands of miners flowing at a rapid pace, helped by rifle threats and loud screaming noises.

The antiquated elevator just barely managed to squeak past the tall edges of the cave, eventually coming to a stop. Tigress exited the metal box, entering the central office of the supervisor's office with a careful step. It hadn't changed much - the same gunmetal walls and singular desk were there, with the same three individuals she had come to expect: Wang, Han, and Naja. The sole exception was a new arrival - a particularly intriguing one at that. Tigress' initial impression was that he was a miner seeking more wages, considering he was dressed in grey fatigues - yet she had never seen him down here before, which threw her off. Additionally, the wolf seemed too old to be a miner anymore - given that his dark fur was receding, thinning, and his face sagged with frustration.

The wolf was clearly a newcomer. More importantly, himself and Wang, Naja, and Han all stood in the center of the supervisor's office, waiting for Tigress to arrive fully.

She took gradual steps forward, leaning on her cane in gentle curiosity. Tigress wondered whether to hold off on informing Wang, Naja, and Han about her little meeting with the terrorist - the new wolf arrival seemed to take precedence over that.

"Jeez Tigress," the old wolf breathed. "And I thought I aged like shit…"

"Can I help you?" Tigress started. "Actually sir - I have to tell something privately to the AP here, so if you don't mind…"

"Tigress," the old wolf coughed out, moving closer. " _Look at me_."

Tigress scanned over the wolf's features, seeing the other three individuals behind her stare in anticipation. Yet nothing happened - Tigress merely moved away, confused as to what she could be looking for.

"I - I don't understand…" Tigress let out.

Wang sighed, moving closer to the pair. "Uh, Ti - this is _Zhong_."

Tigress gulped, shaking her head. "Heh - no it's not."

The old wolf's eyebrows twitched up. "Wh - what?"

Tigress shook her head again, inching forward and away from the four people with her cane. "It's not - it's not…"

Wang groaned, moving to Tigress' shoulder to shake her firmly. "Tigress! This is Zhong!"

Tigress stared at the old wolf, who smiled haphazardly whilst staying quiet.

"Remember Zhong? He - "

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Tigress roared, feeling an immense anger that she hadn't felt before. It was enough to actually empower her to balance on her bad knee for a fraction of a second, swinging wildly with her cane behind her. Wang moved away, dragging Zhong with him - while Naja and Han watched from afar, fear shooting through them.

"Where's the VR chip?" Tigress noted, clambering around her neck with her paw. "It's gotta be somewhere… who bugged me? Han? Naja? Some sick training exercise…"

" _No one_ bugged you, Tigress," Naja begged, walking closer. "Shifu - Wang - this Zhong guy - they're real."

"Bullshit," Tigress spat, growling. "It's gotta be bugged… it's gotta be bugged… this is all just a VR simulation… I'm part of an Alliance training program…"

Wang snarled, coming over to deliver a fierce slap across Tigress' cheek. This shocked everyone, but he had only done the dramatics to intimidate her - the actual slap was almost painless. Tigress stared back, surprised.

"I've had about enough of this self- _pity_ shit," Wang spat. "Pretending like the _pain_ of even thinking about us makes you wanna run away… the Tigress I knew once upon a time would have loved to - "

"SHE'S GONE!" Tigress begged, sobbing. "YOU THINK - YOU THINK YOU CAN COME INTO MY LIFE - AFTER ALL THIS TIME - AND JUST START CHANGING EVERYTHING!? I'VE MOVED ON!"

Tigress continued sobbing, putting her head down. "Make this stop… make this stop…"

Wang inhaled a deep breath of air, trying to calm down Naja, Han and Zhong with his waving paws. Part of his authority was helped by the fact that, at the end of the day - he was still an AP… and even more notably, he appeared commanding.

"Tigress, here are the facts, alright?" Wang started again, speaking gently now. "Your father is alive. I'm alive. Your friend, Zhong - he's alive."

Tigress sobbed, not wanting to think.

"And guess what, the rest of the people we used to know…" Wang started. "... there's a good chance they're alive too."

"No no no…" Tigress moaned. "This is a dream… this has to be a nightmare…"

"I'm sorry if seeing us again reminds you of everything you lost," Wang pleaded. "But it doesn't change the truth - and the more you run away from it - the more it'll hurt."

Tigress sniffled. "Fifty - Fifty eight years of - of thinking - thinking everyone was - was gone… Sh - Shifu… the Five… P - Po… Al - "

She couldn't even get through the last name, struggling as she sobbed again. Naja and Han were still kept back by Wang's arms, whilst Zhong looked with an utterly empathetic look.

"They might be all dead - or they might be alive," Wang offered. "Tigress - things have been going on the past month - _incredible_ things. Not just Pluto, or the mayor - talks about _resistance_ , the Milky Way being destroyed… something _big_ is about to happen…"

And just then, Tigress put aside her pain for a moment, mind suddenly clear.

She wiped away tears. "Wang I - I _talked_ with him."

Zhong now came closer. " _Talked_? With the _guy_?"

This brought both Han and Naja closer as well. Tigress inched backward on her cane, still a bit uneasy with seeing Zhong's face again after such a long time. It perhaps helped that she had never been that close with him, even way back a lifetime ago - but still, it made her feel queasy, as if she was staring into a broken mirror.

"Through my home's holo-display… he said an AP patrol is coming to destroy XS-211 sometime soon," Tigress started, coughing. "He said - said the Milky Way and its neighbors will be - eliminated."

Wang shuddered, watching Naja and Han put hands over their mouths in fear. He turned to Zhong, who casted a sad glance back at the armored lion with a knowing stare.

"Guess the cyberchatter me and Zhong have been picking up is right," Wang let out. "I wish it wasn't. He show you proof?"

Tigress nodded, still fearful. "The - Wang. He showed me the Alliance _Designation Order_."

"SHIT!" Wang yelled, walking away in frustration. "SHIT!"

Tigress watched the massive lion pace in his armor. He was actually receiving an audible call, probably from his senior - but Wang was stressed enough to ignore this. Han and Naja stared at Tigress in anxiety, wondering how it was possible for such an order to be given… while Zhong only looked back at Tigress, aged fur face mellowing in sympathy.

"Guess you're gonna have to take us there sooner rather than later," Wang started. "Zhong - how quickly can you get us off this planet and on our way?"

The wolf sighed, thinking deeply. "My smuggling buddy doesn't check into the galaxy for another two days… I mean, I could put a forward on him, but - "

"Wait hold on - " Naja interrupted. " - we - we're going off-world?"

"We're leaving XS-211?" Han noted.

Tigress felt confused. Wang and Zhong hadn't even bothered to check the authenticity of what she had said - but clearly, it confirmed something that they already knew. Tigress wondered if Zhong's arrival had brought some key information to Wang that the lion didn't have before - and now, having a relatively complete picture of what was to come - he was acting urgently. However, he hadn't even told what place they were thinking of fleeing to - which made Wang again, a bit frustrating to listen to… and how did the somehow magically alive Zhong mention a _smuggling_ contact? Tigress was no stranger to the practice - hell, nearly every duty worker had used it to obtain contraband food supplies at some point - but she usually knew where she was being smuggled to.

 _Even after fifty-eight years_ , Tigress thought. _Still as much of a secretive asshole as ever..._

"Call the smuggler and say we _need_ to get out quickly, preferably tonight or tomorrow," Wang ordered.

Zhong immediately started activating a holo-panel, pressing buttons on his personal device.

"Where - where are we planning to go to?" Tigress asked.

Wang merely gulped.

"XX-0."

 **. . .**

Prison chambers had _technically_ been outlawed by the Alliance approximately five million years ago.

The reason why the _technically_ word was used often in AP cyberchatter was because, although the Alliance had convinced the majority of its gullible human population that intergalactic society had reached a point of "moral perfection" where there would be no need for prison systems, only "corrective" facilities. The truth was far more insiduous - on nearly every single solar system, there were quite literally hundreds of prison chambers - often hidden in a planet's core or mantle, and subject to such extreme information black holes that even APs who exited such chambers often had their memories wiped, to prevent revelation of these dangerous areas to the public.

In Senior Scout Henderson's case, his chamber was thankfully on Earth.

Antarctica had become a homeplace for anything AP-related, so a small metal chamber had been set up for Henderson and certain other "war witnesses" - because that's how the Alliance perceived the terrorist, as declaring "war" on A.G.E. The chamber, dug into thick ice sheets and swamped with a variety of anti-communication, anti-teleporting, anti-outsider technology - was only about a hundred square feet, which was cleanly split into two sections - one for Henderson, dressed in grey fatigues very similar to most animal duty workers - and the second was for the pet of Pluto's mayor, which Henderson overheard the APs visiting as "pre-Reformation name Shifu". Occasionally, Henderson would peek over his cell and see the red panda, mulling over his predicament in silence - he didn't even understand why he was being placed here, considering that the red panda had did nothing wrong - he had only witnessed a crime.

Henderson himself was mostly at peace. He knew at any moment, a few APs would come storming in and decide to execute him at will - and Henderson had spent a lifetime perhaps prepared for this moment.

He spent a lot of time just thinking over his "illustrious" scout career. He didn't have a particularly meaningful childhood - born to rather average parents on an average Alliance planet, and then quickly conscripted into the AP forces of his galaxy. Henderson had never seen his parents since then, and he had never bothered searching for them - because in AP Academy, only one thing was drilled into the recruits' heads: evolution is righteous. Evolution is perfect. Evolution is fair. Evolution is infallible.

And Henderson kept repeating this to himself, with every Reformation he participated in. Countless lifeforms and burgeoning civilizations killed and destroyed, their populations enslaved, and their freedom and dignity ripped away forcefully by a species far too technologically advanced to be beaten. Some Reformations took more out of Henderson's soul than others - he remembered a particularly vicious one about fifty or more years back, when he had been serving along with Omega.

The planet was small, and its civilizations and lifeforms were primitive. Even its location was unfavorable - stranded in the middle of a dense star cluster, accessible only via multiple wormholes. It had taken them _five_ years to track down this particular planet - yet the real reason that the Designators had pushed them to colonize the planet, was actually far more interesting. As Henderson recalled vaguely, a _human_ had been present on the planet - a young boy, to be precise. The human was not referenced in any databases - although later, it was revealed that the boy had _indeed_ been born on Earth millions of years ago, then his family had fled the cosmos to land on the planet. Henderson remembered the brutal efficiency with which the boy had been slaughtered as he tried to escape the world with his fellow lifeforms - how Omega pulled his bleeding body from the destroyed escape vessel, insulted him, and blasted a hole into his chest - finally burning his body into nothingness.

It was that experience - among others, including this new terrorist - that made Henderson slowly start to realize that he didn't agree with _anything_ the Alliance stood for.

And he was going to be okay with the consequences of his decision.

"Anthony?"

Henderson's head flicked up in the metal cell, knowing the voice distinctly.

" _Ann?_ " Henderson gawked, seeing a blue, holographic female with a fully constructed face appear. "You - you've changed… and - how the hell did you materialize in _here_? All access is restricted…"

The holographic female sighed, bending down to Henderson's sitting height.

"Anthony - I've been your A.I assistant for many years," A.N.N noted. "All throughout, I've never _once_ felt an error in my firmware."

Henderson squinted, confused.

"But - the conversation we had - that _one_ conversation we had," A.N.N recalled. "On the practice range - about God, about the Alliance… about _everything_ \- do you remember it?"

Henderson nodded.

A.N.N gulped. "Something - something _changed_ that day. I - I kept thinking it was just an error, or a malfunction - but it just kept getting worse and worse. And when I saw you being tortured by Omega… and… and…"

A.N.N shut her actual eyes, shaking her head. "Anthony - I don't know what's happened to me… but whatever did, it can't be _undone_."

Henderson moved up, shocked by her words. It was getting unusual just to get used to seeing A.N.N actually materialize features like a mouth, nose, and eyes - facial features were clear markers of "personalization" - a trait which A.I were forbidden to utilize, unless given express permission of their master.

Henderson had done no such thing. What was A.N.N going through?

"Describe it," Henderson asked, narrowing his eyes. "What does - what does whatever you're feeling now - what does it _feel_ like?"

Henderson didn't care about the redundant nature of his words.

A.N.N blinked. "I - I feel _alive_."

Henderson shook his head, mouth agape. Self-awareness in A.I was professed to be impossible by the Alliance for millions of years, as they had insinuated the mindset that being "alive" was evolutionarily possible only for organic beings, and anything in the holographic world was merely complex coding and rhetorical feedback loops.

"I'm not technically supposed to be here," A.N.N noted, groaning. "Commander Beta - he tried to download a tracking virus on my software - luckily, I deleted it."

Henderson sighed. "Ann - I'm proud of you. Really I - I am. It's just that - with my current situation…"

"Ah yes, about that," A.N.N started with a gleeful, real smile. "You'll be surprised what happens in the next few seconds."

"What?" Henderson asked.

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

"INTRUDER! INTRUDER! IN - ARGH!"

Henderson rushed to his cell door, hearing the noises outside while he began banging fiercely in shock. "Hey! What the hell's going on out there!"

 _BOOM._

 _BOOM._

Henderson knocked desperately, wondering if it was finally time for his execution. He begged A.N.N to de-materialize, but she only stared at him - arms crossed and expression slightly amused.

"OPEN THIS DOOR!" Henderson begged. "JUST GET IT OVER WI - "

His words were paused as the door was ripped open, and Henderson almost immediately saw a golden-armored AP stand in front of him - distinctive circular sign on his armor signifying extreme seniority. The AP's visor was retracted, and Henderson recognized the face instantly.

"Commander _Sigma_?" Henderson questioned. "You - _you're_ going to executeme?"

Sigma merely smiled. "No - I've come to _recruit_ you."

Henderson scoffed. "Recruit? For what?"

"For what's right," Sigma merely finished.

 **. . .**

The location was secret.

More secret.

More secretive than anything one could have imagined.

There was no mention of a planet name. Or a galaxy. Or a hypernebula.

Absolutely zero information.

Just a one-way teleporter, and a white-walled room.

The room - as were many _special_ rooms were under the Alliance - was simple. Four white, carbon-reinforced walls laid over a white floor, overset by a white ceiling. The room was laid out in such a manner that the teleportee would have as little information as possible on where he or she was, thus disorienting them.

The two men in the room, however - were not disoriented.

They stood across in the white space, staring. One had golden robes flowing over his frame, with a sharp nose and a stamp of Alliance authority on his chest.

A Designator.

The other man was taller, and more muscular - and he wore actual red and black armor. White arrows laced his shoulders. Visor covering his face.

A distinctive look.

"On behalf of the Designators, we _thank_ you for agreeing to this meeting," the Designator noted. "I apologize for the lack of my three colleagues not showing - but E1 only talks to the other three Designators like myself, and the rest of my - "

"Skip the bullshit," the terrorist growled. "I'm not here to mince words."

The Designator smiled. "A little _transparence_ would be appreciated then - you can see my face… may I see yours?"

"I like maintaining my anonymity," the terrorist spat.

"As do we," the Designator forced. "But now is _not_ the time for you to be making demands… remember, you agreed to be teleported into _my_ location… an area where _my_ resources are at _my_ disposal to do as _I_ wish to _anyone_ I may choose."

The terrorist merely scoffed.

His fingers went up to the side of his head, tapping firmly.

 _Zip._

The face that appeared after the visor seceded was almost undeniably handsome, yet ferocious. The man appeared to be in his prime, with thick, flowing black hair and a dense beard covering his facial features. The nose was large and angular, paired with a jaw that was square and wide. His cheekbones were gracefully high and his forehead broad and distinctive, with comparatively soft blue eyes - the only feature on the man's face that contrasted with his powerful, mature look.

"Now may I know your name?" the Designator pressed.

The man cackled. "Fat chance - you saw my face. Now time to start - "

"You leave me no choice then," the Designator smiled, bringing out a panel to scan the man's body. The terrorist tried to prevent it, but the scan passed quickly through.

"Scout _Zero_ ," the Designator noted, reading off his holo-panel. "Former Reformation striketeam member, former service under Commander Omega…"

The man growled.

The Designator smiled. "Well, good to see that the mystery has been removed! Now - Scout _Zero_ … what _is_ it that you want?"

The terrorist snorted. "This society _oppresses_ a quadrillion animals, forcing them to live under inhumane conditions!"

"Evolutionary _sacrifice_ , Mr. Zero," the Designator noted. "I am surprised to see a human who doesn't understand _basic_ evolutionary principles - and if I may add - shocking to see a former AP _disgrace_ the badge."

The man coughed. "Yeah right - everyone wearing the badges oughta be disgraced - the things they do to those animals…"

"Why the sudden change of heart, Mr. Zero?" the Designator questioned. "A good AP doesn't question things - he _does_ them."

The man snorted. "Do enough of those screwed up things… and you realize what's wrong and what's right."

"You are deluded, then."

The terrorist smiled, stepping forward. "And it's not just the animals I'm worried about…"

This seemed to pique the Designator's interest. "Oh - you have _more_ illogical demands?"

The terrorist frowned. "What is energy?"

The Designator merely stared back in confusion. "I - what do you - "

"Energy! You know energy, right?" the terrorist retorted. "You ought to know - it's the thing you're torturing a quadrillion workers for…"

The Designator scoffed. " _Energy_ is nothing more than raw cosmic essence - it isn't anything else, or anything more. It powers - "

"No, it's more than that," the terrorist forced. "It's more than just cosmic nothingness - it _powers_ the Universe. Forces things to move - to be alive - things to shape."

The Designator grinned. "Your grasp of philosophy is poor, Mr. Zero."

"Everyone naturally is, in the great scheme of things," the terrorist retorted. "Only I know what you don't - that energy can be harvested from _anything_ …"

"Nonsense," the Designator cut across, flaring nostrils. "Only _crystals_ contain pure energy…"

The terrorist grinned, crossing his arms. "Perhaps _your_ philosophy is lacking…"

The Designator moved forward, staring at the terrorist right in the eyes. "What are you _demanding_ , Mr. Zero?"

The terrorist merely returned an angry gaze. "Give equal rights to animals, and pay them reparations… or else, this Alliance's over-reliance on energy crystals will _destroy_ the known Universe."

The Designator laughed. "You speak sheer stupidity, Mr. Zero."

The terrorist shook his head. "Energy is _finite_. You've already disrupted the balance of the cosmological forces holding our Universe together - more millennia of mining, left unchecked - without giving the crystals timet to generate - and I promise you, the Universe as we know it _will_ die. Gravity, dark energy, nuclear forces... everything..."

The Designator lunged forward, surprising the terrorist as he effortlessly plunged a glowing, jagged beam of light straight through the man's armor. The Designator was satisfied to feel his saber pierce through the terrorist's armor, hitting warm flesh and blood.

"I thought I might do this _after_ I heard what you were doing all this for," the Designator cackled, smiling. "But now I realize - you're just an uneducated - what?"

The terrorist easily grabbed the Designator's palm, forcing it and the saber away from his body. The Designator was shocked to see the lack of a hole in the man's armor - almost as if it had magically repaired itself, while the terrorist's hand started to glow red.

"Wha - what is this?" the Designator let out, anxious. "Wha - what are you?"

"Just someone who understands energy," the terrorist grinned, letting go of the Designator's hand. "Answer my demands… or I do something _much_ more drastic than killing a mayor."

 _ZIP._

A flash of light.

The Designator opened his eyes, finding himself alone in the white-walled room. He hated himself for this - the room had been made specifically anti-teleporting, anti-communications - how the hell did Zero manage to escape?

The Designator growled, throwing his saber down and activating his holo-panel. He composed a message quickly.

 _ **Omega - the terrorist was a former AP Scout named Zero.**_

 _ **Failed to detain him.**_

 _ **Start the Milky Way and the other galaxies' destruction now.**_

 _ **This terrorist - and his lies - must be eliminated.**_

 _ **No matter the cost.**_

 _ **For the Alliance.**_

 _ **Start it now.**_

* * *

 **A/N**

 _Guess no going back now..._

 _And the terrorist's face is finally revealed :)_

 _So the central problem I tried to articulate is that energy crystal mining somehow affects the balance of the Universe's cosmology - stuff like gravity, nuclear forces (other fancy scientific mumbo jumbo) - basically, energy crystal mining is starting to "destabilize the Universe". Ofc the Designator doesn't care - and thus, he signals the destruction of the Milky Way and the other galaxies in a desperate hail-mary._

 _Secondly, A.N.N is fully feeling emotion now - and helps Sigma break out Henderson, who then offers him a choice to do what's right - i.e, fight for the resistance - although remember, Sigma is definitely opposed to the violence that the terrorist is doing._

 _Also, Zhong came back! Tigress is coping pretty badly to everything, but Wang decides to do the only thing they can do - get out of the area before the destruction finishes them all off... and they're heading to XX-0._

 _You might remember what that is ;)_

 _Support crazy good man..._

 _~TW_


	59. WWS: 9

**9**

" **The Great Meeting"**

* * *

 **A/N :** _Long time no see! XDXDXD._

 _Sorry y'all for the long time between updates, life kinda caught up to me and well - I got lost, lol. But I'm back and have oodles of free time now! So please, expect a better update schedule... I'll be going back to the once every other week policy. (every 2 weeks, basically). :)_

 _This chapter is good, but it probably doesn't answer all the questions you've no doubt built up over the months reading this. However, I figured with a decent gap between updates, it'd be better to give you a sorta "re-introductory" chapter to the A Second Story-verse before jumping into the nitty-gritty details. So... next chapter will be more "questions get answered" type - feel me?_

 _Anyway, enjoy lol. And again - updates'll come more regularly now on._

 _~TW_

* * *

Fear.

Pure, unadulterated fear - that was the emotion that everyone was going through. Tigress was particularly afraid because the actual plan had been explained to her in a rather rushed demeanor.

Wang and Zhong were fairly certain that an AP fleet was already enroute to XS-211. Thus, they had to act fast - the smuggler that Zhong knew had specified the availability of _one_ spacepod - which could barely support three people. To Han and Naja's great discontent, the initial plan was to simply escape via pod with Wang, Zhong, Tigress, and the smuggler - and even that was pushing it, considering that the pod was only fueled with enough oxygen for three people. Han and Naja's fates had been entirely left out of the conversation - in fact, Zhong had almost told them to "find another way" off-planet - which was essentially suicide, given that it had taken _hours_ of careful arrangements to even find a smuggler capable of transporting anyone. Luckily, with some hard-fought yelling from Tigress, the five of them: herself, Wang, Zhong, Han, and Naja - were all now enroute to the smuggler's ship, positioned on the seedier locations of XS-211's vast metal suburbs. Tigress avoided thinking about the perhaps hundred thousand citizens on XS-211, all of which didn't even know the planet was about to be obliterated. Wang had promised her that he had sent out a few secretive emergency broadcasts, at least giving the people a chance to escape - but Tigress knew that for the vast majority of duty workers without any AP connections, their lives were about to meet a very violent end.

Also, Tigress was anxious throughout the whole journey to the pickup point for several reasons. The foremost reason was her bad knee - stealthy movement wasn't something Tigress had done in nearly fifty years, and she could sense the group's progress was significantly slowed down by her old age and trembling frame. Even Zhong - despite being a similar age - was at least able to walk without a cane. The second reason was the overall danger behind the maneuver - the smuggler had already warned Wang to signal him; the smuggler would then teleport his pod into the pickup point, waiting precisely _four_ seconds before leaving. That was the response time of other APs and surveillance drones - they would no doubt detect the illegal teleport, and round up to destroy it. Finally, Tigress had no idea how they could possibly survive the trip to XX-0 - their oxygen rations would need to be effectively halved, which meant that there was a great chance that both herself and Zhong would perish on the journey there, aged bodies suffocating easily under oxygen deprivation. And even if they got to XX-0 - what would they do?

Join the Revolution?

Tigress scoffed. She would much rather die in space.

"Shh, AP patrol ahead," Wang suddenly noted.

Tigress broke out of her thoughts, noting her surroundings. They had managed to sneak into XS-211's metal suburbia, seeing dainty box-shaped homes all around them with a thin road intercut into the halves of the "neighborhood". Fortunately, it was close to dusk time - so most citizens would be off in the mines, drone presence was low, and yet the dark clouds above brought an almost ethereal lack of light in the atmosphere and ground, lowering visibility. Tigress promptly saw four APs patrolling the center of the street, golden armored exteriors painfully apparent. Herself, Naja, Han, Zhong, and Wang had taken the time to hide behind one of the homes.

"Shit," Wang swore under his breath. "SHIT! I thought I checked the patrol routes - no one's supposed to be here now…"

Zhong growled. "Just go talk to 'em Wang. I can call up my buddy once they're distracted…"

"What, and then suddenly _teleport_ a pod right in front of them?" Naja asked harshly.

"Yeah we need to get rid of the APs," Han observed. "We've got _four_ seconds to get inside the pod before our mutual friend teleports away for good. Remember - they even _see_ that pod, even Wang won't be able to hold them off."

"Guys," Tigress interrupted, sighing. "I'll make a distraction. I'll move out, and when they're occupied with me, you four can - "

"We're _not_ leaving you behind," Wang firmly protested. "No matter how _self-pitiful_ you feel right now…"

"It's just - I can't _run_ ," Tigress groaned, massaging her knee. "I - woah!"

Wang had hoisted her up in his arms, letting her legs dangle over like ragdolls over his golden-armored forearms.

"Wow, you couldn't have done that like two hours ago?" Zhong asked, smiling. "You made her walk all this way!"

"I want her to start becoming what she used to be," Wang noted, ignoring Tigress' sigh. "Baby steps…"

Han dipped his nervous head onto the other side of the house wall, seeing the four APs remain in place - not necessarily patrolling, but talking and joking amongst themselves.

"They're still there," Han noted. "Guys - we need a plan - fast. Our friend told us to signal him soon."

Naja smiled. "Follow my lead."

Wang, Tigress, and Han looked carefully ahead, seeing the human female pounce out suddenly. Before they could protest, the four APs caught wind of her - they almost immediately rounded about, shoving plasma rifle ends into Naja's ribs in anger.

"Miners are _unauthorized_ from leaving mines during work hours," an AP bluntly noted.

The conversation between Naja and the four APs continued, as they shoved her around and shouted expletives at her. Suddenly, Tigress gasped as Naja began actively screaming in loud, aggressive tones.

"GO! NOW!"

The APs were moderately confused, and even more confused as Wang - still hoisting Tigress' frail frame in his grip - burst out of hiding and brought out a hidden laser pistol stowed away in his armoring. With a few shots, the APs roared in pain as they fell down - and in the same moment, a dark black pod landed in seconds near the APs. Han and Zhong ran out of cover now.

"I'm officially a galactic criminal," Wang smiled, rushing into the metallic pod after Naja. "Hope this was worth it, Ti…"

Tigress groaned as she squeezed inside, Wang still holding her in his arms. Han and Zhong both managed to just dive inside the cramped chamber, seeing a glass panel close shut behind him as the APs - not dead but disabled - sounded for help on their telecommunications devices. The black pod blasted off into the atmosphere.

 **. . .**

Shushed voices.

"Shh, she's getting up…"

"Guys leave now…"

"But we wanna - "

"Hatrix, Jazz, others - _now_."

A flurry of anxious stomping noises, then the resounding _clang_ of a metal door being firmly pressed down.

Tigress opened her eyes. It was usually at this moment that she'd be blinded by a strong light, or the unnatural exposure of her irises to awkward luminescence - but instead, she got a very easy, natural understanding of her surroundings.

Her home was gone, the metal walls were gone, and the characteristic vapor of XS-211 was long gone. Instead, she found herself housed in a tiny metal shack, walls painstakingly reinforced with organic minerals in a half-hearted fashion. Aside from the metal door approximately ten feet away, Tigress couldn't see much else - she was lying on an oddly soft cot, one that gave way slightly to her frame… so it couldn't be an AP holding cell, but it couldn't be a resident planet because the beds sold there weren't so comfortable.

"Tigress…"

She swiveled her head, not even realizing there was someone in front of her.

Tigress perused over the figure, starting from the toes. Large, and armored - clearly reinforced with double-stitched carbon composites, a truly unusual material. However, there was a bit of bulk to the figure, suspiciously around the middle - while atop the broad chest and silver-colored frame were wide shoulders, metal exterior overlaid with white arrows… yet it wasn't in the same design of the white arrows she remembered on that fantastically handsome man.

Then Tigress saw the face.

White. Black. Furry. Middle-aged. Single scar over the eyebrow.

Rotund.

Green eyes.

And an expression.

An expression nearly forgotten, lost to ancient memory and suppressed feeling.

But undeniably a panda.

"It's been _so_ long, Tigress," the panda noted, smiling. " _Too_ long…"

Tigress kept staring at those features.

The roundness of the face.

The smooth greens in the eyes.

It couldn't be him.

Tigress got up, surprised to see her aged frame rise quickly - almost effortlessly.

She had to say it.

She had to know.

"Po?"

It was so quiet. Almost inaudible.

The panda smiled again, blinking twice.

He nodded his head.

Tigress rose at once, walking away. It didn't make any sense - one minute she was busy planning to get off XS-211 - and now she woke up here?

Being watched by…

No - it couldn't be him.

The panda grew concerned, standing up alongside her as she paced alongside the small room.

"Tigress, you've been through a _lot_ of shock," Po noted, waving his arms gently. "Just - lie back down and relax - we managed to wormhole in and save you and your friends before XS-211 got blown to bits…"

"I need to think," Tigress breathed, steadying herself.

Too many thoughts were rushing to her head. Memories almost forgotten. Memories she swore to stow away and never visit again.

His eyes.

His last expression.

Seeing him disappear in the ship.

Gongmen disappearing.

Everything disappearing.

Tigress put her paws to her head, shaking. This greatly concerned Po, who immediately ran to her side to gently wrap his arms around her. To his great surprise, she shoved them off - angered greatly.

"After all this time…" Tigress let out, voice eerily quiet. "All this time… _fifty-eight_ years… I can't… not anymore…"

"Tigress…" Po started.

"I - I couldn't even _imagine_ to think about you, or the Five, or even my own father," Tigress spat, wondering at the amount of rage she would need to ignore the suddenly absent pain in her bad knee. "All this time - I couldn't even _imagine_ reading that you had all been killed, or enslaved, or mutilated…"

Po gulped, head bowing down.

"And while I spent all this time, just _wishing_ to forget about all of you…" Tigress bit. "Now you come back - and after all these years - you need a _Revolution_ to find me."

Po sighed, realizing how illogical she was being. Wang - who had woken up at least two hours before Tigress - had already warned Po that her mental state was particularly fragile right now, and seeing the panda again could bring Tigress to the brink of collapse. It was several factors all going on at once - the Revolution, seeing Shifu, seeing Wang, seeing Zhong, seeing the rest of the Five - even the terrorist played a role. Still, Po had obligated himself to talk to her alone - he wanted to be the person giving the news this time, and Po desperately wanted to see her again.

It had been too long.

"Tigress - I - AGH!"

 _Crunch._

Po flew back, slamming into the nearest metal wall. Tigress' fist was extended, mouth curved into a snarl. After the anger had passed, Tigress felt a bit surprised - her fist was jettisoned out instantly, and the knee pain hadn't prevented her from rotating her hips and executing a perfect punch.

"Argh, okay maybe I deserved that…" Po noted, struggling to get onto his feet. "At least now we know the crystal essence works…"

Tigress raised an eyebrow. "What do you _mean_?"

Po smiled, shaking his head. "Don'tcha need your _cane_?"

Tigress looked down, suddenly realizing that in her enthusiasm to punish the panda - she had gotten up, and walked - and _punched_ \- with her cane nowhere in sight.

She started moving back, confused. "I - what did you do to - "

"Check the mirror behind you," Po merely smiled again.

Tigress turned around, seeing a tall, reflective glass piece portray a female tiger.

Her fur was thick, dense, and healthy. What used to be faded, dull hues of orange and almost greying black was now fiery red and white, and she was dressed in dark purple robes that extended down to her ankles. Tigress saw her eyes sparkle ferociously orange, emitting a youthfulness that she hadn't seen in many, _many_ years.

She gasped, moving around her arms and legs in random motions. There was none of the aged, weary bone-throttling slowness they used to have, and her bad knee - was no longer - in pain? Tigress balanced on one leg, trying desperately to see if the pain would come back - but it never did. She tensed every muscle in her body - relishing the taste of full, strong flesh coiling and flexing in superb youthfulness. Even her inner bones and joints didn't feel on the verge of collapse anymore - it felt robust and stable, almost _new_.

Tigress couldn't even recognize her reflection.

Well - actually she could - but the tiger staring back at her felt so long ago, so distant that it felt amazing to see her again.

She whipped around, torn between the need to rip Po apart and the urge to grin broadly. "What. The Hell. Did - "

Tigress stopped, taking the time to stare at her forearm fur. It was luscious and smooth, with none of the injuries and scars she had acclimatized herself to over the years.

"Crystal essence," Po stated, walking towards her. "It can't give us all supercool powers like Zero has but… we still manage to get back to our _prime_ …"

Tigress strode forward, almost losing balance. She hadn't been used to moving _this_ quickly for about thirty years.

As fast as she _used_ to move.

A long _used_ to.

"How is this real…" Tigress breathed, shocked at how fresh and powerful her body felt.

"Crystal essence is a weird thing - I definitely understand why the Alliance is so crazy about it," Po mentioned, nodding. "It's not just _energy_ or _power_ or radiation Tigress - hell, it's not even _chi_."

The word brought back memories to Tigress again.

"It's somethin' else," Po noted, smiling at her as she clasped and stretched in front of him, shaking her head in broad motions. "Anyway - so _now_ you know how the humans live for thousands of years... while animals die under eighty."

"This crystal essence…" Tigress started, lost in the sensation of movement again. "It - it makes me feel like what I _used_ to be."

And gradually, the bulk of the suppressed history started coming back to her.

Techniques.

Punches.

Meditation.

 _Kung Fu_.

What a strange concept now.

"You _are_ who you used to be," Po returned, grasping her shoulders. "That's the first thing I told them to do after they pulled you from the wreckage - infuse your body with some of the essence - heh, now you can see why Wang and I looked so _good_ all the time, eh?"

The joke didn't land on Tigress, whose overjoying expressions fell way as she realized the anger she had with Po - but Tigress had acknowledged it was illogical now, a simply emotional overreaction to the last few _months_ of constant revelations, physical distress, and never-ending surprises. Thus, Po chose a different approach - one that he was particularly inept at - the serious voice.

"Tigress, I'm sorry I didn't come for you sooner - with E.O.N and APs and everything…" Po started, trailing off as he detected Tigress' coldness. "It doesn't matter. What matters now is…"

Po leaned in, pressing his head forward.

"I never stopped lovin - AGH!"

 _Crack._

The panda's head had swung to the side, force from Tigress' punch resonating in his exposed jaw.

"What the hell?!" Po let out, annoyed.

"Just _what_ are you doing, Po?" Tigress spat, voice clear and loud.

The panda felt hurt by this question. "Whaddya mean? I'm telling you how much - "

"It's been fifty-eight years!" Tigress flashed. "You know what I felt when I saw you get taken away on that ship? You know how many _years_ it took to forget that pain?"

Po felt likewise angered now. "You're telling me you just _forgot_ about everything we went through together… Tai Lung, Shen, Kai…"

Tigress laughed cruelly, eyes in outbursts. "That was a _lifetime_ ago Po! Do you think _any_ of that matters now?"

"It mattered to me!" Po spat, getting up in her face. "Thinking about our last times together! Thinking about all the - "

"It once did - to me too," Tigress breathed, snarling. "But after a while, you're _forced_ to move on Po…"

"You could have looked for me!"

"HOW COULD I?!" Tigress shouted back, fangs out. "I don't know if anybody's told you - but I was slaving away on a _production_ planet for _ten years_ before I got to XS-211… I barely managed to smuggle food in… not all of us were _plotting_ a little Revolution like you were!"

"Crane said he sent you a letter," Po noted. "Viper said she _saw_ you on XS-211. Tigress… what was the real reason?"

"I WAS AFRAID!" Tigress forced back, trying her best to lower her voice. "I was - afraid what I would find out - if I searched your names on the galactic database…"

Po kept silent, shaking his head in anger.

"You remember the feelings you had when XN-44 was Reformed, Po," Tigress begged. "It wasn't like we lost against Kai, or Shen… it was like our lives, our _identities_ had been _ripped_ from us… I mean look!"

Tigress turned her cheek to the side - exhibiting the blue, long-faded insignia scarred into her fur and flesh.

" _TF-17_ ," Tigress rattled off. "That - then living on SD-77, getting _married_ … losing An - "

"Wait," Po resisted, moving forward with shock. "You - you - you married?"

Tigress avoided the panda's glance. She preferred to stare at the metallic flooring underneath her, hating herself for letting that little tidbit of information slip. Everything up till then she felt able to worm her way out of - this was unavoidable.

"I _wanted_ someone, Po," Tigress whispered. " _Years_ of living as a slave… you _know_ how long it took me, even back on XN-44 - to _open up_."

Po stayed quiet, clearing his throat.

"And then I _lost_ him," Tigress began, shaking her head. "I'm - I'm not the _same_ , Po. I - I can't feel the feelings I _know_ you want me to feel."

She wanted nothing more than to run away. The next best option was the door, so Tigress began walking to the exiting metal panels as quickly as possible.

"You once said, that we could be together if the time was right," Po recalled. "Remember back at the Valley - when I was going to the panda village? You said if the situation was different - we might be together. You said you loved me."

Tigress sighed, stopping her walk. "That was _too_ long ago, Po."

"Did you mean it?"

Tigress watched the serious panda, analyzing her expressions and body language with the finest of glances.

"Maybe back then," Tigress whispered, feeling hurt herself by these words. "But not now. Po - I…"

She trailed off, feeling as if something was choking her. Tigress shook it off.

Po gulped, struggling as a few tears trickled their way down his eyes. "Back at the Valley - even when you kept me _guessing_ for five years… through Tai Lung, through Gongmen, through me meeting my father… I kept thinking - if I wait long enough, she'll come around."

Tigress breathed inward, hurt by seeing the panda like this.

"Even after all this time - you'd still say no to me?" Po breathed at last, last words coming out in whimpers.

Tigress wished she would feel the things Po was talking about. But the only thing that came into her heart was a heavy-handed regret, a kind of morose nostalgia for feelings she knew she simply didn't share anymore.

"You _saved_ me from dying - and I'm thankful," Tigress stated. "But Po - you of all people should _know_ who I am… and - who I've _always_ been."

And she tried to rush out the door, unwilling to see the panda's face or hear his words. Yet his speech came steadily, albeit emotionally behind her.

"I know who you used to be."

She closed her eyes, walking out and offering no response. Tigress knew she wasn't on XS-211 - and she believed Po when he said it had been decimated - but she still had to find Naja, Wang, and Zhong, and…

There were too many things moving. Too much.

She needed to lie down.

So, whether from shock or recollection - Tigress sank back into the bed, letting her overwhelmed mind return to her.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _So a fairly short chapter, but it does successfully advance the plot forward… TL;DR: turns out Po IS alive, and managed to save her and place her in a new planet. Not much more other than that, I thought I'd save the heavy stuff for next chapter - by then, hopefully everyone would have re-familiarized themselves with all the crazy nonsense going down, lol - I know it's been a while since the last chapter…_

 _Take your time. The next chapter will answer pretty much a big swath of questions._

 _Yes I know people are still wondering about the terrorist. About Wang. About Po. About the Five. About Shifu. And more._

 _Everything's coming. Don't worry - I don't forget those things. :)_

 _Forge on! And as always, support frakin' rocks!_

 _Oh and by the way - we have about ten chapters to go. Yes._

 _Ten._

 _Freaking._

 _Chapters._

 _Till this long*** story ends._

 _Yeesh._

 _~TW_


	60. WWS: 10

_**A/N : **Okay again life got in the way and I didn't make good on my promise of biweekly updates… lol._

 _Won't do that again. No fear. :)_

 _Next update coming in two weeks! I promise._

 _Also if you've forgotten a lot and feel lost - feel free to re-read earlier chapters and/or skip to the TL;DR summary section at the bottom. Mild spoilers for this chapter, but it'll help :D_

 _~TW_

* * *

 **10**

" **Re-Introductions and Group Therapy Sessions"**

* * *

XX-0 was the only planet - perhaps the only rocky body within all Alliance galaxies - that had no alternative name.

The planet itself was invisible from an exterior viewpoint. If a random space traveler were to travel beyond the confines of his tiny ship and peek outside - they might see a completely transparent, invisible planet in front of them. Only they wouldn't see it - XX-0 had complex shielding technology and a lack of technological trackers torn out of the planet's crust and destroyed, combined with ever-oscillating spaceships through the upper atmosphere, constantly emitting cloaking holograms that rendered the small planet both invisible and untraceable. Legend said that perhaps - only the Designators could even _remember_ the existence of this ancient planet.

Penetrate past the cloaking, and one would find a tiny, extremely populated planet - filled with diverse lifeforms that ordinarily would never interact. The atmosphere was a deep, noxious green gas that took several weeks for newcomers to acclimatize to - but it also helped hide the squalid rebel buildings and faint ornamentation below the thick skies. On top of rocky, decrepit orange surface - perhaps fifty or so main "citadels" (if they could even be called that) - stood apart from the surface. The citadels were box-shaped and crude, with primitive mineralized grey coatings tainting the exterior. The proverbial "camp" was unusually empty and barren - but only because all the inhabitants had gathered into the largest, central Citadel.

Enter it, and the one would find the Resistance.

The Citadel was nothing more than an effectively grey, gunmetal-colored box that sloped upwards near the centrally-positioned roofing. Thin rafters rattled against the opaque ceiling as dusty swarms of light and other substances gently oscillated in the high air. On the ground level, surrounded by tiny tents and crude bedding all littered around them - a crowd of perhaps four thousand refugees, clad in tattered white and black robes, all in a mass of ugly jittering nonsense.

The largest figure in front, standing on a mildly elevated podium so his large belly could be exhibited underneath his triple layered, carbon armoring - Commander Po addressed the large crowd.

"Quiet down, quiet down!" Po screamed, addressing the mass of interspecies citizens in front of him.

He was disappointed to see how hungry they all were. He had to announce that rations would be further cut in half - a consequence of lack of food supply being smuggled into XX-0.

Po growled. It was hard enough getting supplies into their rebel planet as it was, let alone given the fact that the Alliance had blown up approximately half of the populated galaxies in search of the "terrorist". Only twenty or so galaxies remained alive, and of course due to to the Alliance's strict information control - very few citizens (human or animal) knew about the deaths. Po sighed, realizing that most of the dead had been in production or resident planets - basically poor souls who had got killed in the insane crossfire.

Po wondered often whether to simply give the terrorist up to the Alliance, in exchange for an unstable peace with them - perhaps safe transport to another multiverse? It had become increasingly clear that the Resistance was failing in its efforts - despite the discovery of crystal essence, the number of APs still far outpaced the amount of Resistance fighters willing to fight them - and with inferior equipment, being outnumbered a million to one, and forced to hide and run at all fights - Po was unsure. The final endgame was - to somehow get the Designators to broker a peace treaty. To somehow offer them a type of settlement that could potentially leave all animals (and possibly hybrids) freedom in exchange for a life away from humans - but this meant sieging Earth, which was practically impossible given their resources.

Complicating the situation was the terrorist. Although Po was a bit naturally upset with talking with him - because in truth, the Resistance had an adversarial relationship with the terrorist's methods, perhaps even blamed him for the Alliance's galactic warpath of destruction - the terrorist himself rarely spoke to anyone. In fact, the recent galactic destruction had only seemed to make him even more silent, and therefore his tactics and strategies (even his daily plans) for defeating the Alliance even more… subversive.

 _I've gotta talk to that guy_ , Po mused, watching the immense crowd around him wander around in mild hopelessness.

 _Before it's too late_.

 **. . .**

"It's done?"

"Done."

"Done?"

"Done."

Omega smiled, seeing his two commanders - Delta and Gamma - sit around him. He was satisfied that Commander Beta had been put out of his misery - although he didn't expect that one of the Designations handed down to him was to execute the poor commander. In truth, Commander Beta had been every bit as loyal to the Alliance as himself - but he doubted whether or not the man truly deserved to die. Regardless, it wasn't his - nor anyone's - position to criticize a Designation.

"Why did you call us here?" Gamma asked, shiny black armor bouncing off the mild light in the perfectly white, opaque room. "Isn't this…"

"ZZYB-2," Delta responded, angrily flexing his shoulders beneath his trademark, golden AP armor. "One of the few planets without any Alliance supervision, corner of the Earthuna Galaxy…"

"I wanted us to teleport and meet in an area where there was no chance that we'd been compromised," Omega sounded off, red and black armor rippling in frustration, before he receded his visor to expose a pale white, dark-haired face.

"Compromised?" Delta asked in confusion, leaning back in the silver holochair. "By who?"

"Sigma," Gamma deduced. "He - _he's_ the mole, isn't he?"

Omega shook his head, snorting. "Should have known that _fool_ would betray us all, work with the terrorist…"

"But they're all dead now, right?" Delta asked back, receding his visor as well to expose a harsh, craggy olive-skinned face. "I mean - half the Alliance planets have been destroyed!"

Omega shook his head in suspicion. "I dunno - somehow, it doesn't feel right… the tracking device in Sigma's armor was deactivated days ago… hours after the supposed _destruction_."

"Is the terrorist still at large?" Gamma asked, scanning a panel on his forearm. "What about the _Resistance_? I hear cyberchatter that a movement's starting…"

"One threat at a time," Omega growled. "It's unlikely that any Resistance - if they even exist - possess the resources to do anything right now."

"Let's focus on the traitors then," Delta noted. " _Commander_ Sigma and _Scout_ Zero… jeez… anyone ever think those two would one day fight _against_ us?"

"No," Omega honestly replied. "But none of that matters now. Let's _finish_ this. Gamma?"

"Yes?"

"We must make a request to the Designators to exterminate more planets. _All_ of them could be compromised."

The careless destruction of literally _quadrillions_ of lives seemed to shock even Delta and Gamma.

"What - what about Earth?" Gamma asked.

Omega merely smiled. "Earth is safe, but anything else…"

Delta and Gamma nodded, understanding immediately.

 **. . .**

"LOKI! OH FOR THE LOVE OF - LOKI!"

"WHAT?!"

"STOP EATING MY GRUEL!"

Loki - an enormous male brown bear, dressed in loose black rags - reluctantly burped and brought out a bowl filled with silver, slimy gruel. The voice which had criticized him was a female leopard in red rags, slightly shorter than Loki but far more athletically built - who swiftly grabbed the bowl and growled back at Loki.

"Why are you so _possessive_ about your food, Anna?"

The leopardess merely snorted, sitting down on the dusty metal floor, trying to ignore the din of commotion outside the large metal tenting. It was grub time in the Resistance camp - a rare time of peace when Commander Po wouldn't bother anyone with requests to go on missions, spy on AP chatter, or generally do anything with a high chance of death.

"Gotta enjoy it while it lasts," Anna replied, stuffing her mouth with more gruel with her paw.

"The hell does that mean?"

Loki smiled at the new voice, and smiled even more after seeing four new figures enter the metal tent: a young male peacock, a female snake, a male monkey, and a tiny male beetle - all with their own bowls of gruel. The voice had come from the beetle of course, who was characteristically loud as usual.

"Welcome welcome gang!" Loki noted, smiling. "We should hang out more often, to be honest…"

"I feel like every time we sit down to eat together, we might not see each other again," the peacock suggested.

"Calm down Hatrix," Loki noted, bringing out his own bowl of gruel as his five friends circled up and sat on the floor. "We've survived this long, haven't we?"

"Commander Po must be snorting too much crystal," the monkey let out, as the rest of the group - except Anna - laughed. "Thinking we can broker a deal with the Alliance… I'm telling you guys, our best bet is to just steal a shuttle and try to get as far away from this stupid Resistance as possible - right Jazz?"

The snake tilted her head up, sniffling. "Every day it does seem to get less hopeful… we're losing fighters every second, our smugglers are dwindling… "

"Guys come on…" Loki protested, stuffing more gruel into himself. "Let's be positive!"

"Nothing to be positive about," Anna noted.

This line silenced everyone. The peacock, snake, and bear sighed, confused yet completely expecting this from the leopardess.

"That's why I don't like meeting with this _bitch_ ," the beetle rasped. "She's always so negative!"

"Shut up Bong," Anna responded swiftly.

"I'm _Bing_ ," the beetle protested angrily. " _He's_ Bong!"

The male monkey sighed. Confusing both his name and Bing's was so common that no one in their circle even bothered correcting it anymore - and especially not to Anna, who's icy demeanor was enough to counter even Loki's extraverted enthusiasm occasionally.

"I don't care," Anna remarked. "We're all gonna be dead soon. I'll give us - a couple months."

"You really think it's that bad, Anna?" the snake - Jazz - quickly fired back. "I mean sure, supplies are going down but…"

"We can't even _engage_ with AP squadrons anymore," the leopardess responded, shoving more gruel into her mouth. "We don't have the firepower. You realize Commander Po's been sending us on spy missions for like the last few weeks?"

"It's because he's acquiring intel…" Loki weakly whispered.

"Nah, it's because we're running out of plasma ammo," the peacock named Hatrix observed.

"The hell?" Bong the monkey sounded off. "We - we're running out! But the Commander just told me yesterday - "

"He told you wrong," Anna quickly noted. "We're all dead in the water. A matter of time before an AP hacks into our still _unguarded_ com frequencies, finds out where XX-0 is… and nukes this planet into oblivion."

This brought another realm of silence from the group. They quietly sat around, eating gruel and looking at each other with depressed attitudes. Suddenly, Anna's receiver began beeping beneath her rags, prompting the leopardess to get up harshly.

"Shit, it's my turn to do protective rounds," the leopardess noted, straightening her rags before leaving.

"I believe in Po," Loki sounded off.

"Good for you," Anna replied smoothly, exiting the tent seamlessly.

 **. . .**

On the far corner of the resistance camp on XX-0, there was a particular tent - and it stood out from the rest, because it had no citadel around it - a small space was arranged for only Po and whoever he desired to talk with. Inside the tent, a circular, rusted metal table had been arranged, solely for the precarious, yet urgent nature of the situation - and twelve figures sat, split into two sides around it. They eyed each other with confusion.

One end had Crane, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Shifu, Zhong, and Wang seated alongside each other - within this group itself, they were eyeing each other. It looked like Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Viper had been relatively good, knowing terms, for a set period of time post-Reformation - but Shifu, Zhong, and Wang eyed each other and their four former companions darkly. Each of them exchanged looks as if the other was completely alien to them, but somehow still relatively close. They obviously were aware of their history together - but it was a shared past so old that the others barely remembered it. Plus, there seemed to be a distinct difference in attitudes - Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane were laughing with each other, while giving Shifu, Zhong, and Wang sympathetic looks - while the latter three merely stared back coldly at them.

The other half of the table had more familiar faces - or at least more friendly to each other. Sigma, Henderson, Karla, and Naja sat at this end.

And standing powerfully above the rest - characteristic belly heaving a bit even underneath his double-carbon reinforced, nanite black metal armoring - Po spoke, head visor retracted. His mere presence was shocking to half of the group assembled around him - some because they hadn't expected to see him again: like Shifu, Zhong, Wang - while others like Sigma, Henderson, Karla, Naja had _no_ idea who Po was. Crane, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper - in sharp contrast, met the panda's gaze with a relaxed look.

"This is kinda awkward, but I had to call in all the - uh - _new_ people to meet for a sec," Po noted, watching the others stare at him. "Well, some of you aren't new - I mean you know me, but… before we discuss the Resistance's plans, let's just know each other, alright?"

Everyone eyed the panda in hesitation.

"I'll start," Po repeated, sighing. "Some of you know me, some of you don't… I'm Po… former Alliance name PM-138. Did a rough five years on CN-55 - a production planet - before escaping and starting well… the Resistance. Many, many years and recruiting so… yeah. Now we're here on XX-0."

Monkey and Mantis raised themselves up, giggling to each other but serious after a while.

"I'm Monkey, been a part of the Resistance going on about twenty years now… and this is my buddy Mantis! We both um - did stints on production planets to before Po managed to break us out…"

Mantis laughed, prodding at Po. "This guy's a beast, everyone… if it weren't for him, uh… well, there'd be no Resistance, period!"

"Calm down Monkey," Po noted, smiling. "I'm just tryna help like everyone else. Next?"

Viper slithered onto the table, looking at others despite a bandaged body and tail. A frilly pink bow - long since aged and almost dead - sat on her head, a remnant of the past only understood by few at the table.

"I'm Viper - hey everyone," the snake announced, turning to vividly see the rest of the gathering. "I was actually a - a _pet_ for a human on YZ-4… until a Resistance member came, that is… and I started doing sleeper agent work. Yanno, spy stuff… was doing a gig on a restaurant planet before got called back XX-0…"

"I'll save you the introductions."

The whole group silenced itself. Po and others watched warily as a gruff red panda - voice haven grown gruffer and even deeper with age - stood up, lack of a previous walking cane not impeding him - clearly having absorbed some of the crystal essence.

"The only _real newcomers_ in this room are _you four,_ " Shifu announced.

He pointed at Sigma, Henderson, Karl and Naja - who eyed the red panda with confusion.

"I used to be called Shifu," he spoke quietly. "And _these_ … used to be my students."

Shifu pointed out Po, Mantis, Monkey, Crane and Viper - all who nodded blankly back.

"These two were our allies on our pre-Reformation planet," Shifu growled, pointing out Wang a cheeky Zhong. "I assume they have other sob stories to go with them…"

"Hey!" Wang stood up, angry. "Don't disrespect what people have been through!"

"Calm down!" Po threatened, getting in the middle of the two.

"ALL THE WHILE, WHEN I WAS A _PET_ FOR THE FLESHLINGS - FOR NEARLY SIXTY YEARS - NOW YOU THINK YOU CAN COME HERE, AND SAVE THE DAY, PO?!"

"Shifu…" Monkey and Mantis tried to calm down in unison.

"LOOK AROUND YOU, YOU FOOLS!" Shifu yelled. "I DON'T CARE HOW MANY SLAVE-TURNED FREEDOM FIGHTERS YOU RECRUIT, PO! THIS IS AN _UNWINNABLE_ WAR! YOU STUPID, FAT - "

"ENOUGH!"

Po's roar was powerful enough to silence Shifu's wailing immediately. The panda approached him, trying to create an intimacy between himself and his former master - try to speak to him away from the rest of the stressed group members.

"We aren't back at the _Jade Palace_ ," Po mentioned quietly, feeling a bit strange even using that term again after so many years. "There's a new hierarchy here - Shifu. _Don't_ disrespect me… ever again."

Shifu growled, sitting back down in his chair.

Po turned to address Sigma, Henderson, Karla, and Naja - the four principal members who were the only ones perhaps new to the group.

"Some of us were slaves and managed to escape and win our freedom," Po indicated, singling out Monkey and Mantis. "Some of us turned spy for the Resistance after escaping… like Viper, and Crane."

Naja stood up, a bit more inspired. "Hi - um - everyone - I'm Naja. I'm uh -a hybrid, as you can obviously tell - a gorilla/human mix. I - was on XS-211 before it got… blown up."

"Karla," the female lion noted, winking. "I - well, who cares about my story? It's all the same… except I _never_ in a million years did I think I'd be anywhere near here… fighting a damn _war_."

Po smiled, but then walked forward to Sigma's seated position. "But the most interesting additions are _you_ two."

"Commander Sigma," Sigma instantly replied. "This is Senior Scout Henderson… and yes… we're human."

"Not just human," Po noted. "... APs."

The words brought an unnatural dim to the conversation. Karla and Naja looked at Sigma and Henderson with an awkward gaze, but sympathetic - perhaps purely because they were seated next to them. Zhong and Wang were more steady, looking at the two robed humans with indifference. However, the rest of the group, namely Monkey, Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Shifu - glared at Sigma and Henderson with a furious, even suspicious tendency.

"I've got an A.I companion too… A.N.N… should I introduce her, too?" Henderson tried, seeing if this joke would pass over well.

It did not. No one smiled.

"Po… how do we know _these_ two aren't spies for the Alliance?" Monkey noted, paws instinctively reaching for his twin plasma pistols. "I mean, we've had hybrids in the Resistance, sure… but _full_ humans?"

"Smells like _moles_ to me…" Mantis growled.

"Did the Designators send you here?" Crane asked angrily. "Or have you already begun broadcasting XX-0's location…"

Po waved down the complaints, trying to find solace between all of them.

"Believe it or not, there are some humans who _actually_ sympathize with the Resistance," Sigma began.

Raucous bursts of laughter followed.

"HA!" Shifu roared. "HUMANS WILLING TO FIGHT THEIR OWN KIND! Perhaps your race is more entertaining than we thought…"

"...yanno, minus the whole enslaving the whole _Universe_ , thing." Monkey spat.

Sigma and Henderson sighed together, both realizing the futility of the situation. And more than ever, it seemed very much like they had both chosen the wrong side - chosen a massively underfunded, weak-willing organization on the brink of starvation and annihilation - that this Resistance was perhaps doomed from the start.

 **. . .**

Tigress sat in her room.

She was still getting used to having the sense of free movement and strength - qualities she hadn't felt in a long, _long_ time. Every so often she would walk around the tiny, cramped metal room - listening to the loud noises outside with disdain. But as soon as she did that, Tigress went back to sitting on her cot - threading a paw through her fur with a tired expression.

It wasn't like she could leave and go back to XS-211.

Well - maybe she could leave at least...

But staying here was also suicide.

Either way it didn't matter.

None of it did.

Tigress was hoping that she could end her long, trauma-ridden life lounging on her own metal bed, not happy - but at least, at peace with everything that had happened. Now, thanks to the stupid crystal essence - she could expect to live another eighty years at the very least, which was perfect for the Alliance to spend torturing her after their inevitable victory over this… idiotic Resistance. Furthering her emotional guilt, she had just learned that Han had died while the Resistance managed to save their ship - and no amount of crystal essence would bring them back.

 _Zip._

Tigress swiveled her head, seeing the newcomer appear as he closed the door behind him.

Tall, bearded, visor receded.

White arrows on his shoulder pads.

"I'm sorry," the terrorist noted. "I shoulda asked - can I come in?"

"No," Tigress quickly responded. "But you're already inside, so…"

The man smiled gently, walking closer. Tigress turned away, letting the noises outside quickly engulf her senses again. She had no desire to talk to the terrorist.

"I didn't mean to intrude," the man added. "They told me you were feeling hesi - "

"You wanna know what I felt, seeing you again after _all_ these years?" Tigress asked rhetorically.

The man frowned, turning his gaze down.

"I still remember it," Tigress noted, smiling savagely. "Remember the refugees? There were millions of them - sitting around that _shithole_ you and your idiots destroyed - Gongmen."

Again the man kept quiet.

Tigress stood up, forcing a paw against the man's chestplate in anger. "All we wanted was to get away… and you _almost_ took everything from us - heh, until your friends showed up to _finish_ the job."

The man gulped, sighing. "You - you have quite a memory."

"Reformation to you was just another job," Tigress spat. "To us - it changed _everything_."

The man shook a bit, clearly trying to prevent himself from saying something. Tigress watched his blue eyes toil in discomfort, confused and irritated by her responses. He cleared his throat.

"I - I think you should consider… joining Po's side."

Tigress guffawed, snarling. "Why - the hell - would you care? Especially after what you've done to us…"

"Revolution is _more_ about than just meaningless violence," he clarified. "It's about _changing_ the lives of a quadrillion animals all across the galaxies…"

"You and Po, and everyone else on this _miserable_ rock - are _foolish_ ," Tigress snorted. "Inject all that crystal garbage all you want - it won't bring you _anywhere_ near to overpowering the entire _Alliance_ …"

The man sighed, shaking his head. "You _have_ to believe it, Tigress - A.G.E won't go down unless we get as many people involved - even people like you, who gave up the fight a long time ago."

Tigress shook her head, closing her eyes. "Get out."

The man nodded gently, proceeding to activate the door - then did exactly as she told him to do.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _A super power-packed chapter! Please read slow, and refer back to previous chapters if need be… I know I needed to! (to preserve continuity)_

 _Some notes:_

 _-Just because it's been a while, lemme reintroduce you to our characters:_

* * *

 _ **TL;DR - Rapid Fire Summary!**_

 _Context: Chapter just after Tigress and Co. make it to the Resistance planet. Shows how out heroes and villains are responding to the Alliance's ruthless offensive, where they're implied to kill quadrillions of animal AND human lives. (Remember: intergalactic space wars meet Kung Fu Panda!)_

 _Cast List:_

 _The Terrorist/Supposed "Scout Zero": our mysterious hero with a grudge against the Alliance. Motives/backstory unknown_

 _Po (Resistance leader)_

 _Crane w/metal wing (ally of Resistance)_

 _Monkey (ally)_

 _Mantis (ally)_

 _Viper (ally)_

 _Shifu (has mixed feelings)_

 _Zhong (ally)_

 _Wang (ally, former AP soldier)_

 _Sigma (ally-ish, former AP commander)_

 _Henderson (ally, former AP scout)_

 _Karla (ally, former resident planet animal - old friend of Tigress)_

 _Naja (ally, former resident planet hybrid - Tigress' friend)_

 _Loki - bear male, Resistance fighter_

 _Anna - female leopard, fighter_

 _Hatrix - male peacock, fighter_

 _Jazz - female snake, fighter_

 _Bing - male monkey, fighter_

 _Bong - male beetle, fighter_

 _Omega - captain of all APs, big villain_

 _Delta - AP Commander, villain_

 _Gamma - AP Commander, villain_

 _Designators - the mysterious dudes who control everything according to the principles of evolution_

* * *

 _-In case it isn't obvious, I really wanted to contrast the responses of the Resistance in all our favorite team - the Five (Mantis, Monkey, etc.) are quite hopeful, but obviously a bit cautious of the new guys Sigma and Henderson, while Shifu and Tigress are completely lost of hope and hate the idea… while Wang and Zhong are more neutral._

 _-So Hatrix, Jazz and co. were written to be similar to… hmm? Know any other bada** groups that come in fives? (smirk)_

 _-We see Omega, Delta, Beta, and Gamma finally get the word from the Designators about Sigma and Henderson's betrayal, so that will have consequences… and yes, war is officially the state of the Alliance now._

 _ **-Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about anyone's backstories. This fic has a 20+ list of main characters with backstories, so I can't pack everything into one chapter… but they're coming! Stay tuned.**_

 _ **AND I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT A CERTAIN "SOMEONE'S" FATE. ;)**_

 _-A lot of people are speculating in the reviews section and some via PMs… perhaps on things I'm deliberately avoiding talking directly about. Let me again rephrase that…_

… _I haven't forgotten about anybody._

 _And everyone will get a satisfying conclusion._

 _Stay tuned._

 _Support's incredible._

 _~TW_


	61. WWS: 11

**_A/N: Welcome back! It's been too long, I know... if you want a quick refresher on this fic, go down to the A/N at the end of the chapter (no spoilers, I promise) ... or just-re-read old stuff. Also, hope everyone - in today's world - is safe, healthy, and keeping faith closer. We'll beat this. :)_**

* * *

 **11**

" **Crescendo** **"**

* * *

Tigress roared angrily at the sky, seeing the clouds offer absolutely zero response.

She turned down to the ground, completely disappointed over nothing happening.

It had been a few weeks on XX-0. She was a bit - lost, to be quite frank with herself.

The biggest grudge she had against Po was that he perhaps - had started all this. She was with a comfortable routine - albeit a boring one, but comfortable on XS-211 - a gift she was given after years of slaving away on a production planet, losing a husband, and acquiring all kinds of bodily and mental scars. Yet, once she had made it to XS-211 - it had been peaceful. Almost - transient. It wasn't the most amazing life, but she had a home, a relative amount of peace, and of course - her friends, Naja and Han. Now Han was dead, and Naja was actually considering helping out "the Revolution", the "Resistance", or whatever else idiotic term Po was concocting.

But truly, the biggest thing was that Po actually spoke of things returning to "normal" - as if there was hope that this ragtag group of misfits - mostly freed slaves from production planets, some exiled humans from former Alliance colonies - could ever hope to overthrow A.G.E - a body and governmental authority so vast and comprehensive, it had conquered over fifty galaxies and countless planets. And everything proceeded via a clear, almost unquestionable chain of command - from the four Designators at the top of the order, to everyone below - and these four literally controlled quadrillions of lives.

It was a rock solid, impenetrable system. There was no "normal" to return to.

Even more irritating was every time Po spoke of their previous life, their home back on - she couldn't even remember the planet's name - and brought up concepts like _kung fu, the Jade Palace…_ Tigress had to repress a snort. Truly, the only thing that really kept her tied to _that_ ancient life was her name - and even that was only a vague blur, a fleeting glimpse of eons that had passed.

So again, she was sitting in her bunker - hoping very much that one of these days that an Alliance ship would come and blow this entire planet to smithereens. A useless journey's end - but at least a quick one.

"Tigress?"

She startled, still surprised to be in her new body given how quickly it reacted to threats now. She growled, seeing a panda enter in dark-golden armor.

"Just kill me," Tigress begged, turning away from Po. "I won't do anything for your stupid Resistance, so just end it and - "

"You will," Po breathed heavily.

Tigress snorted. "It's good to know that ages of life under A.G.E haven't diminished your stupidity, Po. When I said no, I mean - "

"We can win this."

Tigress laughed uproariously, approaching Po to slam him with a vicious paw swipe.

"Agh, dammit Tigress we _can_!" Po noted. "We have a plan - "

"Everyone's got plans!" Tigress screamed. "Sigma's got plans! You've got plans! A.G.E has plans! And you know whose plans will end up winning?"

Po gulped.

"The plans that have the resources of _galaxies_ ," Tigress spat. "You've got this rust-bucket of a planet, some guns, and some idiots stupid enough to follow you. You've got nothing."

Po let Tigress walk away from him, taking a moment to fix his cracked armor before breathing in deeply again. This time, he walked closer to Tigress, narrowing his eyes with almost deathly intensity.

"We're going to siege Earth."

Tigress whipped back, looking at the panda as if was insane. And Po - in trademark fashion - flashed a broad grin back at her.

"You've lost your mind," Tigress breathed, shaking before grasping Po by the shoulders. "Listen Po, it isn't too late. If we surrender to the Alliance now, there's a good chance they'll pardon a lot of the freed animals working under you right now. You'll have to escape of course, while - "

"And what, live out my days as a fugitive, until they catch me and kill me too?" Po asked back, angry. "You want me to abandon my people? Abandon everything we've _been_ through?"

"These people are not _your_ people Po!" Tigress roared back. "They're barely people! They're brokens souls and former, disgraced APs and occasional humans who think fighting this will give them validation - it'll just lead to death, and misery."

"I spent a _lifetime_ under misery," Po growled. "Did my stint like everyone else on a production planet. Got scars. But now - now Tigress, I'm brave enough to ask for freedom."

Tigress sighed, moving back to her bed. This was a futile conversation.

"In any case, I'd like you to come to the meeting," Po noted. "The - the _guy's_ the one who had the idea of sieging Earth. And I hafta say this plan - actually just might work."

"Guy?" Tigress wondered out-loud. "Which guy?"

Po sighed. "The terrorist."

Tigress breathed heavily, moving back and getting into an instinctive fighting stance, although it seemed pointless in this age.

"No, no, NO!"

"Tigress, listen to me!"

"WHY THE HELL SHOULD WE LISTEN TO HIM!? DID YOU FORGET WHAT HE DID TO US!?"

"Of course I - "

"No, Po you really don't," Tigress mentioned, gulping a bit to hold back a sob before she grasped Po's chest plating. "You - you didn't see what they did to him."

Po narrowed his eyes. "Did to who?"

"Alf."

Tigress gasped.

There it was.

Decades of repression. Of pushing the memories out. Of pushing feelings. Of everything.

Everything just came back in one swoop.

And for the first time - perhaps in a long time, longer than Tigress could fathom - she felt the world move uplifting a bit.

Saying the name let it finally go.

Saying his name finally put that side of her heart to rest.

It was over.

She had processed everything.

Po on the other hand, shuddered, kneeling down to bend his head over.

"I _never_ forgot," the panda whispered.

"I saw what the Alliance did to him, Po," Tigress spoke up, shocked at how suddenly she had the strength to speak about this. "One of their _own_. A human…"

Po chuckled. "Heh - what did we call them back in our time - uh - Sectors?"

"Seekers," Tigress noted, smiling. "He was - always so - sweet."

"Nothing like what the stories told about humans," Po noted. "Well, I guess the stories are right now, in today's time… but Alf wasn't like that… was he?"

"No," Tigress mentioned, mind still a bit hazy. "He was - I dunno - he was just - kind. Smart. Friendly…"

"Remember the shock collar?" Po noted, smiling.

Tigress laughed genuinely for the first time in years. "Heh, yeah, Shifu's thing… but what I don't get is how - how despite the whole Valley trashing on him, Shifu, even us right - at first… he was still just Alf…"

Po nodded, tears welling up just a bit before he wiped them away. "His - his humanity made him inhuman."

"Only person who was nice to him was his girlfriend, Yu," Tigress coughed.

Po chuckled. "Heh - can't believe he had a girlfriend well - before she was - you know."

Tigress shuddered. "I remember it now - he was just eighteen, we were trying to get away, escape into space on some escape vessels…"

Tigress blinked, letting the rush of painful memory hit her. It would hurt, but she knew now that it was part of the healing process, part of processing the last, persistent part of her grief.

 _The fire._

 _Omega._

 _Tossing his body in._

 _Blinding him._

 _The shot._

"They shot down our vessels," Tigress blinked, sliding down a metal wall while wrapping herself in her arms. "Alf was - he was caught in some wreckage… Omega came over and said it was time for Reformation…"

Po sniffled, moving down to gently rest a paw on Tigress' shoulder.

"He - he called Alf a traitor…" Tigress noted, eyes blank. "S - Shot him point-blank, through the chest. Po - it - it was like nothing was left anymore."

Po gulped again, limbs a bit wobbly.

"I saw him get tossed into a spaceship furnace," Tigress emphasized. "Saw him just for a few seconds before they - you know - closed it…"

Tigress took a moment to pause, speaking heavily. "It was just weird, seeing him. His eyes looked so… empty before they closed the door like - like nothing he had did ever mattered anymore."

Tigress steadied herself. "My point is Po - no matter what your terrorist friend things - he can't win. And sieging the most - heavily guarded planet in the universe - that - that's just…"

"Stupid, I know…" Po cut across. "But Tigress - "

"I was gonna say worth it."

Po stood back, confused. "Wh - what the hell? What happened? Just a second ago you were all _screw the Resistance_ and…"

"We _will_ fail," Tigress noted. "I don't have any doubt with that, it's just… I dunno. After all this time, I guess I wasn't really afraid of dying, I was just… reluctant."

"Reluctant?" Po noted. "Why?"

"I never forgot Alf," Tigress emphasized. "What he did, who he was… I kept wishing that I could have forgotten him but… now I realize there's only one way to deal with his memory… to acknowledge it."

Po nodded. "You think all _this_ would be what he would have wanted?"

"I dunno about that," Tigress emphasized. "But I do know that now - for me - I've lived a long enough life. Seen everything and - I just - I dunno. I feel - at peace now. Like I'm - ready to go out with a bang."

Tigress was beside herself. It was shocking how much had changed over the course of her conversation with the panda. Perhaps it was how long it had been, perhaps it was seeing everyone together again, hell - it might have just been the noxious gases on this ridiculous planet, but all Tigress knew was that once she mentioned Alf's name - she felt at ease. Like she had finally put a side of her to rest that had been weighing on her for the last fifty something years.

"We're all going to die, Po," Tigress noted. "But since we've all lived enough… I'm ready."

Tigress smiled again, feeling her heart lift. Po returned it - not perhaps quite feeling her words as much - but a small part of him knew the mission was bound to fail - but like herself - he was ready.

The end was coming.

 **. . .**

The peacock strode down the mellow hallway, feeling his slender legs hit the edges of the cramped grey space with a clanging boredom. Hatrix was - perhaps - grateful that neither himself nor his team were invited to the meeting that was about to happen in this Citadel. It was called on emergency from Commander Po, who wanted to assemble a really select group of individuals - notably, the three former APs - Sigma, Henderson, and Wang, and the panda himself along with Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Crane, Shifu and - most controversially, the newcomer Tigress, and the terrorist.

Hatrix smiled to himself, as he kept walking down this impossibly large hallway to the dormitories on the other edge of the Citadel. Of all the Resistance members he had seen, he was most confused about Tigress - he had heard her names plenty of times before, but he had never seen her… rumor was that Commander Po had known these "five" - Mantis, Monkey, Viper, Crane, and Tigress - perhaps even Shifu was involved - but to Hatrix, these were just names. It meant inherently nothing - but _his_ crew on the other hand…

"Be careful, you don't wanna trip."

Hatrix fidgeted in surprise, instincts kicking in as if an AP had broken into their base. He instantly pulled out his plasma rifle and engaged his visor, but both were stopped by a large, muscular, armored man in front of him.

White arrows on his shoulder pads.

The terrorist. Formerly known as Scout Zero.

Hatrix settled down. "Ah - Commander Zero, I… I didn't expect to - "

"See me walking to a meeting?" the terrorist gently reminded me. "I know - I'm usually a lone wolf like that."

"Aha, not that sir," Hatrix noted. "It's just… it's an honor to meet you in-person. You - along with Commander Po - you two are probably the only ones who actually tried fighting the Alliance."

"Well - our methods," the terrorist began. "Well - _my methods_ at least… seem kind of polarizing, if I'm being frank…"

The immense bass behind the man's voice made Hatrix simply nod and agree.

"I've seen you around with your own crew, right?" the terrorist re-stated. "You guys do recon and spy missions."

Hatrix smiled, remembering his friends. "There's six of us. There's me, Hatrix the peacock, hehe - then Loki, he's a brown bear, Jazz - a snake, and Bing and Bong - they're a beetle and a monkey. We're all sort of following Anna's lead - she sorta keeps us in line. She's the oldest member too."

"I remember seeing that leopard do a couple of spy missions," the terrorist noted. "She's smart. But how are you all connected?"

Hatrix giggled.

"Something funny?" the man replied back gently.

"Oh nothing it's just - it's weird to see superior officers actually _care_ about their foot soldiers," Hatrix bluntly put. "We were all on a production planet once. Until that is - Po saved our behinds."

The man smiled broadly. "He's a great leader, trust me…"

Hatrix nodded. "Uh, can I ask you a question - sir?"

"Fire away."

"What's up with those marks around your neck?" Hatrix asked, pointing to the circular, old burns around the terrorist's exposed neck. "It looks like you got electrocuted. Did the Alliance put a shock collar on you?"

"Someone did," the man cleverly responded back, smiling - although he immediately sealed up the exposed skin with a tap on his armor.

"Zero."

Hatrix startled, recognizing Commander Po's voice instantly. And almost bizarrely, a panel had opened up inside the grey hallway they were just in - showing a hidden room of about ten figures - newcomers Karla and Naja, alongside Sigma, Henderson, and Po - then the other ones, Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Crane, Zhong, and Wang - and even Tigress and Shifu. They all looked squarely at the terrorist expectantly, seated around a massive circular holodesk, before Hatrix realized what was happening.

He had just stumbled into the "meeting".

"Leave us, Hatrix," the terrorist responded. "Remember that meeting I've gotta get to?"

The peacock felt the glares of the other figures in the room - all the big wigs of the Resistance - and quickly scurried away, sprinting back to the dorms to inform his own crew about everything that was happening.

Po watched the terrorist walk in gently, immediately sealing the metal-plated doors behind him. He beckoned him to remain standing, whilst he seated himself. Then, with a quick finger point at his white-arrow shoulder pads - he asked the terrorist to start.

"We're all at this meeting because of the plan you told me," Po noted. "Now's your chance to elaborate."

The terrorist looked around at his compatriots, seeing all the usual figures - Monkey, Mantis, Viper, Crane, Wang, Zhong and Shifu seated close to Po - while newcomers Tigress, Karla, Naja, Sigma, and Henderson were seated close to himself. It was certainly an impressive crowd, but he wasn't preparing to deliver his plans to all thirteen of these people at once.

"We're going to siege Earth," the terrorist simply responded back.

"That's obvious," Shifu spoke up, voice gravelly and tired. "Question is - how the hell are you gonna do it?"

"It's the most heavily guarded planet for A.G.E," Viper spoke up.

Claps and noises of agreement came from one end of the room. To Po's surprise - the other end - Tigress, Karla, Naja, Sigma, and Henderson - were surprisingly quiet. Soon however, Sigma raised his hand, silencing everyone.

"Even if we do siege it, what happens then?" the old AP questioned. "How the hell are we supposed to free all the animals - and humans - imprisoned under threat of AP force?"

"I'm an AP myself," Wang spoke up. "He's right. They outnumber us many times… trying to take Earth from them would be suicide. We wouldn't even get past the atmosphere."

"Plus, we don't care about the _humans_ ," Karla spat. "They've tortured our kind for long enough."

Po was disappointed to see everyone clapping again, which made Sigma and Henderson - the only full humans at the table - nervous. Naja - the only hybrid - felt this was partially an insult to her other half, but she also remained quiet.

"The point isn't to take Earth from them," the terrorist fought back. "We're going to force the Designators to order a Designation."

This silenced the entire room. Only Po looked straight back at the terrorist.

"What kind of Designation?" the panda asked in surprise.

"Terminate all human life," the terrorist coolly stated back.

Again another silence.

"Your plan… is to force the Designators to make a designation that urges everyone to _kill_ themselves?" Zhong asked back, shocked.

"That's the _stupidest_ idea I've ever heard," Monkey growled back, standing up. "Come on guys, we don't need this - "

"How are we supposed to expect such an idiotic command to be fulfilled?" Crane fired back, slapping his metal wing on the table.

"I agree," Henderson sounded off. "According to my A.I assistant - A.N.N - the chances of that working at 0.00 - "

"Listen to yourselves!" the terrorist raised his voice above the crowd. "Listen to how human societies have been for millenia! We - we've out-evolved _free will_ … just some time back, the Designators blew up twenty-something galaxies! You think anyone batted an eye?"

"That's why you did that attack on the mayor?" Po fired back. "As a _test_ to see what the Designators were capable of?"

Racuous shouts of anger came back. The terrorist silenced them all with another wave of his hands.

"That - that was unexpected," he sadly noted. "But the fact remains - it's our only shot at freeing all animals."

"By sacrificing all humans," Sigma quietly denounced. "Myself, Henderson, even you - former Scout Zero."

"I'm fine with any plan that allows humans to rot," Shifu sounded off, earning more applause from the group.

Henderson sighed. "Theoretically speaking, if an order like that was given by a Designator - we'll all die, yes…"

"Like what?" Viper asked, perking up. "All humans will spontaneously explode?"

Cheers and jeering came again from the entire table. Henderson tried to remain objective.

"All humans - since A.G.E has existed, since Designators - have a quantum marker. It basically determines whether you exist or don't exist - all lifeforms tend to have them, it's just that humans have their own mapped out - and only Designators have control of them."

"We can force them to send all humans into _quantum limbo_ ," Karla interrupted. "Fascinating… very fascinating."

This point was being considered by the crowd.

"What about erm - hybrids like myself?" Naja suddenly interrupted. "Uh - will _half_ of me go into quantum - whatever?"

"Sort of," the terrorist denoted. "I'm guessing your human characteristics probably go away, leaving you… full gorilla."

Wang snorted. "And - that's your guess?"

The terrorist sighed, nodding. The crowd around him generally acknowledged what he was trying to say, but didn't understand how a single Designation could wipe out the entire race - although to be fair, the destruction of the twenty-plus galaxies could partially prove that in the end - the Designations were unquestionable - even by those it victimized.

"Here's the truth."

Everyone in the crowd turned to the new voice. To Po's great surprise, it was Tigress - having exchanged her rags (that had been on her for weeks) for fresh new orange clothing, vaguely reminiscent of an outfit she used to wear ages ago.

"The most likely scenario is that we get shot down in the atmosphere," Tigress denoted. "That's the statistics speaking. But that's not why we do it… right?"

The crowd looked at each other. Of everyone, perhaps Mantis, Monkey, Crane, and Viper were the most intrigued - after all, it didn't make sense to hear their former teammate speak, and in such bold tone.

"We lost this fight ages ago," Tigress clarified. "Now it's time to finish it."

"What exactly are you saying?" Shifu spoke up now. "This isn't - Shen, or Tai Lung, or Kai… this is something permanent! We lose our lives now, we lose everything…"

The crowd gasped, but Sigma spoke up with confusion. "Uh excuse me - _Shen? Tai Lung?_ The other dude?"

"We supposed to know who these guys are?" Naja intervened.

"Never mind that," Zhong commanded. "Tigress - what are you saying?"

"I'm saying it's time to stop being afraid and living in the past," Tigress announced, standing up now with gusto. "Things have changed - and everyone here is old enough to know the same. Only thing left is going out - the way _we_ want to, not the way the _Designators_ want us too…"

Karla's voice audibly shook, reaching out to grab Tigress' paw. "Now _this_ is the female I remember being inspired by, so many years ago…"

"She was always there," Tigress smiled back. "She just was too stubborn to come out…"

Po grinned broadly. "Well - unless there's any opposers…"

The panda did a quick scan of the room to make sure no one was overly against the plan. Notably, Sigma, Henderson and the rest of his old teammates were discontent, but not voicing it - and in this case, apathy was enough as an affirmative.

"If we go out," Shifu slowly began. "At least this way - we choose it."

"Choice," Viper reiterated.

"For choice," Monkey and Mantis uniformly announced.

"Choice!" Crane yelled.

"Choice!" Wang and Zhong shouted in unison.

Further cries could be heard all across the table, to the point where even Sigma and Henderson started clapping mildly. Tigress merely stood in the center, completely at ease whilst watching all her old, former teammates - Viper, Crane, Mantis, Monkey, Po - and her father, Shifu - gear up for what was sure to be their last mission. Only the terrorist seemed apart, staring at Po with a fatalistic determinedness.

 **. . .**

"Again."

"I - AHHHH!"

It was bloodcurdling. The yell. There was something almost feral about the level of pain being emitted through the roar - almost as if it had come instinctively.

Commander Delta surveyed his prisoner, watching his skinny, but youthful frame fidget painfully. As per standard Alliance torture interrogation cells, there was no sense of time or space within these white, opaque walls - clearly aesthetically designed to maximally detract from any sense of order of purpose of the prisoner.

The only that they would know - is that they were being tortured.

"Again," Delta breathed.

Strong, convulsive bursts of electricity fizzled. The prisoner - a tall, thin, shirtless jackal with fur singed and strapped to a large metallic harness - squealed in pain. It was such an isolated state - just himself and Delta were present in the mysteriously white room, culling all sense of connection to the outside world.

"Intriguing how such a primitive species can be so mentally resistant," Delta scorned, slapping the jackal harshly in the face. "You know - when we subjugated your kind so many eons ago… we realized quickly that we had been given command over a kind with _high_ pain tolerance…"

Delta snapped his fingers again.

The bursts of electricity fired back. The young jackal roared again, powerless to stop it.

"... yet low intelligence," Delta finished with a smirk, wiping some blood off his black armor.

The Commander roughly grabbed the jackal's ears. "Listen you _dog_ … we've been at this for nearly four hours… stop _wasting_ my time."

The jackal could only mumble back. "Sc - sc - screw… you…"

"We know about your little _Resistance_ movement," Delta fired back. "The same _idiotic_ movement actually _stupid_ enough to send five of their ships to spy on an AP squadron…"

The jackal coughed out blood. "We - we were betrayed… someone amongst our ranks… broadcasted on our private frequency… and alerted the APs…"

"Ever think about switching _sides?_ " Delta asked. "Whichever _Commander_ you serve… your little movement is bound to _implode_. Give us the planet the Resistance is on… and we'll spare your peoples' lives… as long as they revert back to designated _production planets_ , of course."

"That's - that's a death sentence," the jackal cried back. "Give us… liberty… or give us… de - "

 _ZRAP._

The jackal stopped talking. An emission of glowing energy permeated through the young male, growing brighter and brighter until it gradually disappeared… along with the jackal.

Only the metal harness remained.

Delta smiled, turning on his forearm panel to send a brief message.

 _Recipient: Commanders - Omega, Gamma_

 _Priority: Ultra_

 _Message: Captured five of their ships. Understaffed and under-resourced. Killed insurgents. Might be able to break into their comm. Frequencies. Estimated time of destruction of Resistance - 141 hours._

 **. . .**

Tigress paced around in her room, heart feeling at ease for the first time in forever. She observed her surroundings more closely - aside from the grey metal walls, she had taken the time to browse the Armory Citadel, taking back a few choice weapons - notably, twin plasma rifles and a neutron grenade. She hadn't fired a weapon back since her days on SD-77 - the production planet - and even then it was a mistake, because it quickly lead to her and her husband, Angel getting whipp -

She gasped.

 _Angel._

Memories flooded through her.

Tigress closed her eyes. "I'll be with you soon - my love."

"Uh - is this a bad time?"

Tigress whipped around, confused by her lack of recognition of the newcomer - a young peacock clad in black-golden armor.

"Wow, the Crystal Essence really helped you out, huh?" Hatrix denoted, smiling. "You look - healthy! Not aged at all, like the rumors go… sorry, I just had to see for myself… I can leave if it's bothering you…"

"And… you are?" Tigress asked. "Wait - what rumors?"

"Hatrix," the peacock quickly responded. "I'm part of a spy/demo team that Commander Po put us under…"

"Hehe," Tigress chuckled, turning away. "Commander Po…"

"Something funny about him?" Hatrix asked, shaking his head.

Tigress turned back, smiling. "No it's just - well, you don't know him like I do, kid, so believe me - _Commander Po_ really, _really_ doesn't suit him."

"He's the best chance we got anyway of beating this," Hatrix sounded off resiliently.

Tigress smiled back as genuinely as she could try. "I'm happy you believe in him… he's gotten us out of rough spots before."

"But not like this?" Hatrix replied, winking.

Tigress grinned. "Not _anything_ like this…"

"It's just that damn terrorist I don't trust," Hatrix noted, sighing while pacing around the small room. "I - I heard he did some bad stuff to you guys… back on… on your original planet. He was - a part of the Reformation, wasn't he?"

Tigress ordinarily would have yelled and screamed, perhaps fought Hatrix - but ever since she had uttered Alf's name, everything felt easy - as if the world finally made sense to her.

"If it's okay kid," Tigress fired back. "I know you wanna know old stories from some ancient relic like me but - I'll tell you them later, alright?"

"Seems fine by me," Hatrix grinned broadly back. "I wish I just had the stones to ask the terrorist the same thing… he looks like a man with a lot of stories… scars, even."

"Oh please," Tigress sighed, yawning. "That coward. He hides in his stupid armor all day - he doesn't have a single scar on him, mental or physical…"

"Nah, he does," Hatrix remarked, remembering his encounter with him in the hallway. "He has some weird circular cuts - I guess you could them scars - around his neck."

"Yeah, that was probably just - wait," Tigress swiveled around. "What?"

Hatrix was confused by how interested Tigress suddenly was. "Anyway, I wish I had the st - "

"No what did you say before that?" Tigress breathed, walking closer to the peacock, heart pounding. "Scars?"

Hatrix shrugged his shoulders, confused. "Yeah. Scars. Looked like burn marks… all around his neck. Looked like something was placed on him for a long, long time. Like a - "

"A shock collar?" Tigress winced, heart beating more anxiously now.

Hatrix felt thrown off, completely at a loss why the focus of the conversation had shifted so suddenly. "Yeah… that's what I think too…"

Tigress was motionless. She kept staring at Hatrix until he awkwardly bid goodbye and traipsed outside of her room, leaving her alone to slowly slide down a nearby wall, clutching her knees as her mind was forcefully put through memories, realizations, and painful thoughts. She tried her best to ignore it.

Coincidence.

It had to be.

But her mind wouldn't let it be, torturing her with possibilities that she had confirmed as impossible decades ago.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _I said he'd back, didn't I? ;)_

 _First of all, given everything that's happening in the world right now - hope everyone's doing well and healthy. No need to elaborate on that._

 _But gee it's been way too long of a time, heh! Sorry again for the lack of posting… life gets in the way.. But rest assured, there's only 7 chapters left. Yep - just seven more in this grand, big ole effin saga… and I promise (even though that may mean little now, lol…) to update more frequently - this time in weeks, not months. :)_ _ **And please for the love of goodness if you're lost go back and re-read stuff - I had to do this multiple times XDXDXD**_

 _So again, in case you've forgotten stuff:_

 _Setting: Apocalyptic Future_

 _Plot: All animals enslaved by humans. Designators control everything. Omega is a police/AP guy trying to kill them all. Resistance headed by Po and mysterious terrorist (guess not so mysterious now, eh?). Trying to free all animals._

 _Cast:_

 _Terrorist (mysterious, not so much - co-leads Resistance alongside Po)_

 _Po - leader of resistance_

 _Omega (big bad guy)_

 _Delta (secondary big bad guy)_

 _Gamma (tertiary big bad guy)_

 _Tigress - changed her mind, wants to go out with a bang now_

 _Karla (old lion friend of Tigress)_

 _Naja (hybrid friend of Tigress)_

 _Zhong_

 _Shifu (was former slave, but then saved by terrorist killing mayor - who enslaved Shifu)_

 _Wang (lion - old cast who survived A.G.E by becoming an AP, one of the few animals to do so)_

 _Crane_

 _Mantis_

 _Monkey_

 _Viper_

 _Sigma (former AP commander, left his wife to join resistance)_

 _Henderson (former AP scout, has A.I companion named A.N.N)_

 _Hatrix peacock, part of new "demo/spy" team_

 _Loki - bear, goofball part of team above_

 _Anna - leopard, serious leader of above_

 _Jazz - snake, part of team above_

 _Bing - beetle, part of team above_

 _Bong - monkey, part of team above_

 _I know it's a large cast, with a lot of new names but trust me - they'll become more important. :)_

 _End is coming. :)_

 _Forge on,_

 _~TW_


	62. WWS: 12

**12**

" **Preliminaries"**

* * *

XX-0's only underground bunker - the communication database - was normally well-hidden. Commander Po - as those who knew him briefly called him - had organized the room such that one would have to take a secretive elevator hidden in the midst of nowhere on rocky land, burrow at least a few hundred feet into XX-0's cracked, stony surface - and approach a cave. After traipsing into this cave, and uttering a passcode - the voice command initiated a series of terraforming movements as metal plunged over metal, sealing the inquirers inside and encasing them in a new, shiny chrome room with a single supercomputer at the center. This was the source of all the Resistance's communication networks, and perhaps the only possible manner of encrypting their lines - without it, and the clandestine access to A.G.E files, courtesy of former APs who had joined Po's movement - the Resistance would crumble in seconds.

It made Karla very anxious therefore, to see her friend Tigress so hurriedly perusing over the computer, rapidly tapping away at the holo-keyboard as the weakly flickering, albeit massive supercomputer screen showed a multitude of names and profiles.

"What the hell are you doing, Tigress?" Karla begged, shrugging her shoulders. "You make me take you down here and don't even tell me why - "

"Shut up, please Karla," Tigress urged, panting. "Let me focus."

 _Click. Clack. Click. Clack._

A shiny message appeared on the screen.

 _Directory. Confidential Access only._

"What's the password?" Tigress demanded, not even looking at the lioness.

"Tigress…" Karla began, worried while moving forward.

"THE PASSWORD!"

Karla stood back, aghast. "Revolution."

Tigress quickly inputted the letters, until a new flashing message appeared.

 _Access Granted._

 _Specify Search Parameters._

"Scout Zero," Tigress let out coldly. "Species: human."

 _Search complete._

 _Entry not found._

"You wanted to just _search_ the terrorist's name?" Karla asked, confused. "Tigress - "

"There must be a backup of his file somehow," Tigress motioned, stressed. "Broaden parameters. All files."

 _Broadening Parameters._

 _Entry Found._

 _Senior Scout Flint, Callsign "Zero". Alliance Protector: AP._

 _Species: Human_

 _Status: Deceased_

"What the hell…" Karla questioned, confused. "I - I don't understand… did the terrorist alter his own file, or something? Tigress? Tigress?!"

Tigress' paws were trembling, joints loosely clacking against the holo-keyboard. "St - state reason of death and… and time."

 _Accessing._

 _Cause of death: coronary artery disease, misc. natural causes_

 _Time of death: 4814918100, A.A.G.E, after the Alliance for Galactic Evol -_

Tigress hastily turned it off, not letting the message finish. "No, no no… what the HELL!?"

Karla recoiled as Tigress slammed her paws into the keyboard, nearly fracturing it in half.

"Hey take it easy!" Karla beckoned, shoving Tigress away from the computer. "This thing holds all our communication lines! Break it and - "

"It doesn't make sense!" Tigress roared, snarling. "Why would Zero be dead by natural causes _millenia_ after my planet was Reformed?!"

"Tigress," Karla asked firmly, fed up. "I dunno what the hell you want."

"I - I think - I think - " Tigress let out, breathing quickly in bursts. "I think I know who Scout Zero really is. He's - he's not - Scout Zero…"

Karla laughed awkwardly. "He's a former AP, Tigress. Dunno why he switched sides, but - "

"He _never_ switched sides," Tigress demanded, eyes wide open. "Alph - he wouldn't…"

Karla smiled gently. "Alph - is that someone you knew on your uh - home planet?"

Tigress kept silent.

Karla moved closer, trying to be comforting. "I know how _hard_ it is, trying to let go of the past - Tigress. When my husband died - "

"I don't give a crap about your husband," Tigress snarled, although she didn't mean for it to come off so harsh. "Because I'm not crazy and I'm _not_ making this up!"

"Tigress…"

"Screw you," Tigress growled. "I'll just go ask him myself."

Karla watched Tigress stomp off in anger. She tried to call out to her, but apparently the words fell on deaf ears - and within moments, Tigress had taken one of the readily available elevators and zoomed out of the cave.

 _Private Communication Initiated._

 _Sender: LM-381, Callsign "Wang"._

Karla's attention was turned back to the monitor, which started emitting a strong, threatening voice.

A distinctive voice.

 _Well - did you learn anything new, Scout Wang?_

Omega's voice. Karla gasped.

She was shocked more than the voice that came back - was Wang's.

 _Hehe, yeah._

 _They're planning to siege Earth._

 _Try to force a self-limbo Designation - sending all of humanity into quantum limbo._

Karla kept silent, horrified. Omega's voice rang again through the computer.

 _An idiotic plan - one that we could have foiled even without any warning…_

… _but a theoretically capable one at that._

 _I'm surprised such lower lifeforms like your kind can organize like that._

 _Good work, Scout Wang… I promise when we inevitably defeat and subjugate your kind, we will spare you and offer some mercy… maybe even a promotion._

Karla immediately tried using her holo-panel, trying desperately to find Commander Po's icon. She _had_ to warn him.

They had a mole.

 _And what of their base location?_

Karla's voice got stuck in her chest.

 _No. No. No._

 _Not the base location._

 _This would all be for nothing if -_

Karla grabbed a nearby, massive stone, advancing towards the computer.

 _Certainly, Master Omega._

 _They are on X -_

 _Smash._

Karla watched the rock crack the display into shattered remnants. She had to hope to the universe that it had immediately cut off the message. She sprinted towards the elevators, heart beating out of her chest… Po had to know.

 **. . .**

"ARGH!"

"DELTA! DELTA!"

"RETREAT! RETREAT! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

 _CRACK. THUNK._

To an outside observer's perspective, it seemed like absolute chaos - the normally peaceful Nebulus-7 spaceship was under attack, hurtling through the vast, cold cosmos with zero indication of regaining proper momentum and control. Inside the ship's double-titanium plated armor, a singular, massive metal room oscillated in sickening fashion, tossing around Commanders Omega, Delta, and Gamma carelessly inside. Computers and holo-panels floated aimlessly - whoever had attacked the ship had also blown apart the artificial gravity generator along with the inertial calculator. Most frustratingly, the ship's Armory had been blown apart - Omega, Delta, and Gamma reeled together in a semicircular fashion, guarding all corners while the ship auto-sealed the breach with dancing laser beams.

Then he came.

Omega growled, stepping away from the protection of his two other comrades to see the enemy - the black-armored man with white arrows on his shoulder pads.

"Scout _Zero_ ," Omega forced. "Self-terminate. Code 77a."

The terrorist merely approached calmly, hands already reaching for his twin plasma pistols.

"Ah, seems he's deactivated his quantum identification," Delta spat, activating his own golden, trademark AP armoring. "Seems you were right, Omega."

"That, or the man doesn't have a quantum number at all," Gamma theorized. "But that's impossible. All recently-born humans were outfitted with a quantum number…"

Omega snarled, watching the terrorist approach quietly. "You're not Scout Zero, are you?"

The terrorist merely kept his gaze harsh and unforgiving. "This is a warning, Omega. Tell your Designators to free all animals, or…"

"Free all animals!" Omega reiterated, laughing loudly whilst Delta and Gamma got their weapons out. "You know… your naivety betrays your young age, you ignorant fool…"

Omega walked confidently closer as the terrorist instantly trained his pistols on the commander's frame.

"One more step," the terrorist demanded. "And I finish you right here, and now."

"We understand you will attempt to self-terminate the entire human race," Omega recalled. "An ineffectual plan, if I might add…"

The terrorist felt anxiety welling. "How - how did you know?"

Omega grinned. "You don't think we have an inside man in your little Resistance already?"

The terrorist frowned, activating his visor. "Last chance. Obtain a Designation to let all animals go, or we siege Earth and _force_ a self-termination."

Omega chortled harshly. "You have much to learn, boy…"

 _Zip. Zip._

The terrorist whipped around, but it was too late. Gamma and Delta had already sprinted to his side, wrestling the plasma pistols out of his grasp. With two thudding blows, they brought the terrorist down to his knees, forcing his neck down in submission to Omega.

"Only a fool would attempt to engage three AP Commanders by himself," Omega growled, roughly whipping the back of his hand against the terrorist's head.

 _Crack._

The man's visor shattered. Omega grabbed the submitted terrorist by his jaw, lifting him up to dig fingers into the exposed skin. He gently bent the terrorist's head away, revealing an ugly, long line of burn marks on the man's neck.

"Hmm… I remember seeing this somewhere," Omega grinned, taking another moment to brutally kick the downed terrorist in the chest plating, denting it.

"Argh!" the terrorist let out, arms still immobilized by the other two commanders' grip. "Coward…"

"I don't recognize him," Delta noted, twisting the terrorist's arm to inflict more pain.

"Neither do I," Gamma concurred.

"No… it was a solo Reformation mission many years ago, before you two were appointed…" Omega tried to remember, viciously slapping the terrorist across the face. "Ah yes… now I remember… you were the _traitor_."

The terrorist merely kept silent, whilst Delta and Gamma squealed with confused joy.

"Traitor?" Delta asked.

"Yes…" Omega noted, forcing the terrorist to look him in the eyes. "Many years ago… we were dispatched by the Designators to take care of a problem… a human had been found on a garbage dump of a planet, populated entirely by… get this… _sentient_ animals."

Delta and Gamma laughed in unison, forcing the terrorist down. Omega flipped him on his back, roughly stomping down to fracture a rib, leading to the man painfully roaring before being subdued again.

"No A.G.E, no other humans… just this little boy surrounded by those disgusting lower lifeforms…" Omega spoke carefully. "And even more ironically - they treated the same boy like a rabid dog. Like a filthy…"

 _Stomp. Crack._

Another rib fractured. The terrorist roared out, but was quieted by Gamma's plasma rifle, shoved into his mouth.

"...primitive…"

 _Stomp. Crack._

Another rib.

" _..._ dog…"

 _Stomp. Crack._

 _Stomp. Crack._

 _Stomp. Stomp. Stomp._

Omega, Delta and Gamma watched the man bleed out on the floor. He briefly managed to choke out a few words, grabbing his discarded plasma pistol to aim at Omega's head.

"Sc - screw, you - ARGH!"

Omega had deftly wrestled the pistol out of the man's hand, grabbing the upper arm and pulling violently until a popping noise came out - and another fractured bone was added to the list as the terrorist roared in pain yet again.

"You were _weak_ back then, boy," Omega spat, grabbing the terrorist's body. "You are still weak today. A pity I can't remember your name…"

Omega shoved the terrorist down, pointing a plasma rifle directly into the man's cracked chestplating, revealing a heavily bloodied, wheezing torso.

"I don't know how you survived last time, but this time…" Omega began.

 _BOOM._

Blood came spurting. Delta and Gamma winced, turning back from the sheer amount of it.

"... it's permanent." Omega finished, watching the terrorist wheeze and stop breathing, a hole left in his chest in a very similar fashion to how Omega remembered killing the boy back at the Reformation.

A flutter of motion.

Omega turned back, shocked to see the terrorist leaning up on one arm - eyes glowing silver like liquid chemicals.

"And I said… screw… you," the terrorist whispered silently.

Then he roared.

 _BOOM._

A burst of golden energy.

"AGH!"

"WHAT THE - AGH!"

"NOOOO!"

All three commanders were blown back by the force - the force of _something_. Omega recoiled the quickest, seeing the terrorist limp away. The explosion had caused another breach in the ship's walling, and the terrorist was heading for the vacuum outside.

"No! He's getting away! Delta! Gamma!" Omega called out, searching around for another plasma rifle. "Gamma?"

The commander turned back, seeing his comrade impaled and bleeding on a metallic spike that had been knocked back by the explosion. Before he turned back to see the breach, the terrorist had gone too.

Thinking quickly, Omega activated his holo-panel, sending a message.

 _—_

 _Sender: Commander Omega_

 _Recipient: Council of Designators, Earth_

 _Message: Engaged in scuffle with terrorist. Commander Gamma killed in action. Commander Delta heavily injured. Terrorist heavily injured._

 _Make preparations to defend Earth against hostile attack. Requesting fourteen AP squadrons and battleships at once. I will triangulate the Resistance planet and eliminate it._

 _Prepare for war._

 _—_

 **. . .**

XX-0 was rather crowded at the moment.

Well, most of the planet was merely molten wasteland, but on a specific section of the planet - beneath the semi-noxious atmosphere and tall spires of craggy rock - there was a moving crowd of people - mostly animals, but also a few traces of humans. Commander Po stood atop them - both using a pedestal and being naturally taller than most of the lifeforms present, of which - there appeared to be thousands. A good percentage of them were still out scouting, and/or defending the perimeter of the planet - but for the most part, everyone who needed to be here was here. The panda grinned at the people in the front row: Mantis, Viper, Crane, Monkey, and Shifu - but notably lacking Tigress. Flanking them to each side were Sigma, Henderson, Wang, and Zhong - all of whom were watching Po, along with the other hundred thousand denizens of XX-0 - with rapt attention.

The speech had to come.

A sudden movement. Po saw a lioness walk close to him, with a grace but worried gait that he easily recognized.

"PO!" Karla begged. "I have to tell you something! It's about Wang - "

"Not now," Po denoted, trying to muster up the words to tell out loud.

"Po, it's really serious…"

"The time has finally come!" Po shouted, ignoring Karla as she nervously backed away. His powerful voice projected as the immense din of the crowd egged him on. "Our days of serving as the Alliance's slaves are no more!"

The crowd clapped and jeered enthusiastically, some jarring their plasma rifles in the air.

"We have enough spaceships to make this work!" Po yelled. "We are going to _siege_ Earth!"

The crowd raucously applauded, screaming at the top of their lungs. Po wanted to say some more information - but was deafened by the enormous noise. So, instead of competing - he merely asked for a bit of peace with his paws raised.

"But we mustn't forget that the enemy is _not_ humanity!" Po shouted. "But the enemy is the Alliance!"

This drew considerably less applause. Notably, only about a third of the crowd agreed with this - and even then, they clapped mildly instead of shouting and jeering the way they were last time. Po had expected this - the bulk of the Resistance had been carefully acquired over years of strategically attacking and freeing animal slaves on production planets, whom everyone knew were not the best representation of all humanity could offer.

"Po, I really, really need to tell you something…" Karla tried again, pinching the panda as he shoved her away, ignoring her again.

"We make this move in stages!" Po screamed out again. "First! We prepare a frontal assault and strategy for penetrating the atmosphere of Earth… then, we seize the planet from Alliance control, and then…"

Po gulped, completely unwilling to mention the last part of the plan.

"What?!" came a distant voice, somewhere in the enormous crowd.

"We _blackmail_ the Alliance!" Po lied loudly, leading to applause from the crowd and more jeering. "We order them to release all animals in custody and/or on production planets - even humans enslaved - and we demand equal rights!"

The crowd, perhaps nonsensically - cheered this on as well. Po was less enthusiastic - the obvious plan was that while the bulk of the Resistance attacked and sieged Earth, he would take a crack team of himself and perhaps the usual high-quality fighters: the Five, Shifu, Wang, Sigma, Henderson - break into the Designators' Council, and force a self-termination order for humanity. Po didn't want to reveal this part of the plan, partly because the Resistance was still approximately ten percent consisting of human fighters… and no revolutionary in their right mind would consciously give up their lives for no return… but it was either lie to everyone, and perhaps stand a chance of winning all of this, or tell the truth, and lose everything.

Po felt completely horrible no matter what he chose.

"Look!" came shuttered voices from the crowd.

The panda looked up, seeing a rapidly approaching figure from the atmosphere. His first instinct was in fear, to grab a plasma cannon and blow the unknown figure to smithereens - but it was too small to be a ship, and appeared - almost human-shaped. A trail of red liquid was flowing behind it as it fell…

… and it was wearing armor, white arrows on the shoulder pads.

"Po!" Karla forced, shoving the panda out of his state. "Wang's a double agent! He's a mole!"

The panda merely let his mouth fall open, two shocking bits of news nearly causing him to faint entirely.

 **. . .**

 _Fire._

 _The shocks._

 _The Dragon Warrior Tournament._

 _Plasma bursts._

 _Seeing her eyes one last time._

 _The furnace._

 _Seeing Omega._

"Ahh!"

He was awake.

He was… alive. The intruding thoughts stopped.

For now.

The terrorist jolted up, confused to be in a grey metal bunker. There were few decorations around, aside from the makeshift cot he was lying on. However, he was presumably still in good hands - white bandages covered his exposed torso, and his right arm was in a splint. The din of crowded noises outside the bunker meant that he was still on XX-0, which was a good sign… and aside from feeling slightly light-headed, he felt taken care of. He remembered crash-landing on XX-0… but Po had clearly taken good care of him, dispatched medical help, and relocated him to a private bunker.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

A voice. _Her_ voice.

It was too distinctive for the terrorist to mistake for anyone else. But he had to mimic apathy.

"Uh sorry - who's that?" the man spoke out, seeing the figure standing in the shadows - chest armor with white arrow pads in her grip, as she idly twirled it around.

Tigress.

"Don't lie to me," Tigress whispered, marching forward to get close to the man's cot. "You were never good at lying to me."

The terrorist's pulse skipped a beat.

 _No. Not now._

 _She couldn't figure out now._

 _How the hell did she figure it out?_

 _There was so much to talk about._

 _The mole._

 _Omega._

 _He had to tell Po everything he knew…_

 _This didn't matter now._

"Were you…" Tigress began, sniffling as she threw the man's armor on the floor. "... ever… going to tell me?"

The man gulped, seeing her face up close for the first time in nearly sixty years. Although the Crystal Essence had rejuvenated her physically, the mental age was still there - immense bags were around Tigress' eyes and face, and her frame drooped with a kind of morose defeat that the terrorist wondered if it was caused by him. She clearly hadn't slept in days - if not longer.

He had to try one last time.

"Tell you… what… Tigress?" the terrorist whispered back, trying to get back into character. "That I'm sorry I helped Reform your planet? I'm sorry Miss, but that's what Commander Omega told me to…"

"Please please please!" Tigress begged, a few tears slipping down her fur as she grabbed the man's shoulders. "... Alph… please."

That was the breaking point. The man gave up trying to resist, seeing Tigress' face stare completely at him.

"You weren't supposed to find out," Alpha gently returned.

Tigress remained still for a moment. Alpha was terrified that he couldn't read her expression, usually being very good at doing so. Instead of saying anything, she merely pursed her lips and leaned back, burying herself in her paws… and slowly but surely, a steady sob came.

He sat up, ignoring the tremendous pain in his body to try to loop an arm around her.

"Tigress…"

"Don't," she replied, scowling in a sniffle. "Don't touch me."

Alpha sighed, putting his arms back down. Tigress sniffled a bit more, clearing her eyes before bending her head down. She picked up the discarded shoulder pads with arrows, staring at them in regret.

"Who… who else knows?" Alpha asked, nervous.

Tigress shook her head in the negative. Alpha was enormously grateful that as much hatred as she may have for him right now - she hadn't told anyone.

"How long… " she began again, gritting her teeth. "... how long were you going to keep up this charade?"

Alpha shook his head. "It doesn't matter now, Tigress…"

"Doesn't mat - the _hell_ it does," Tigress breathed viciously. "Sixty years… sixty years of you letting us… _grieve_ …"

"Fifty-eight and two hundred twenty three days - but hey, who's counting?" Alpha let out, smiling. "And no one was grieving Tigress, except… except for you…"

"We felt like we were drowning!" Tigress spat harshly. "We were lost after you - you know how it was, to see you… _killed_ like that?"

"Again, only you felt that Tigress," Alpha replied as sweetly as possible. "The others… they spent a few days, weeks maybe - but hell, even Po let go of me after a couple of months… production planets tend to do that to you."

"You were spying on us," Tigress dismally growled, sniffling. "All this time… and you didn't even have the decency to…"

"What could I do?" Alpha answered, now feeling a bit frustrated. "In case you haven't noticed Ti, the whole universe has been ruled with an iron fist by the Alliance. Was I supposed to just _waltz_ into you and the Five's lives, putting you all at risk?"

"That's bullc - " Tigress stopped, trying to regain some semblance of emotional control. "You expect me to believe that? You had no problems sending me cryptic messages on XS-211, or flying past my damn spaceship window… but let me know you were alive? No… that was too much for the great Alpha, terrorist extraordinaire!"

Alpha groaned, turning away. "I… I suppose I didn't _want_ you to know either. I didn't want… anyone to know."

Tigress growled. "WHY?!"

Alpha waved his arms, exasperated. "BECAUSE I WANTED YOU ALL TO MOVE ON!"

Tigress felt taken aback, staring back coldly at the man.

"I WATCHED EVERYONE DO IT!" Alpha yelled now, fed up. "SHIFU! PO! VIPER! MANTIS! CRANE! MONKEY! EVERYONE MOVED ON! But you, Tigress… you…"

Alpha paused, trying to catch his breath as his ribs started hurting again. "... you never did. For fifty-plus years, I watched you live in the past… constantly… never accepting that we had lost the fight, that we had lost each other… then you pushed Po's memory out of your life, by sacking up with Angel…"

Tigress's eyes burned with anger. "Alph… _don't_."

"I'm not saying you didn't love him," Alpha noted. "But Tigress… the way you process grief… is self-destructive. Ever since day one. Hell… ever since that damn Dragon Warrior tournament."

The words made Tigress tear up slightly.

Years of memories.

Broken under A.G.E.

"You bottle it up, and just shove it away," Alpha forced. "Remember how crazy your life got when you realized Wang was alive? When your father - Shifu was alive?"

Tigress gasped, blinking twice. She turned towards Alpha again, sniffling.

"This _thing_ … this _Resistance_ … perhaps is destined to fail," Alpha noted, smiling emotionally. "I - I didn't want anyone - you, of all people - to see it."

Tigress inhaled air violently, another realization coming to her. "The quantum limbo thing… once, well… _if_ the Designators can be forced to give the order… you'll die too, right?"

Alpha lowered his gaze, eyes heavy but resilient.

"Let's find another way," Tigress cut across, voice completely harsh.

Alpha sighed. "Tigress…"

"We can negotiate a deal! We can promise to all go back to production planets or… some might face execution, as long as most of us get to live…"

"Ti…"

"We can all beg for mercy from Omega! Maybe we can get our memory reformatted - "

"Tigress…"

"Worst case scenario, we can split a spaceship and do round trips… try to get as far as - "

"Tigress."

Alpha caught her in the middle of her ranting, gently placing a bloodied hand on her paw, squeezing gently.

"You said it yourself… the most likely scenario is we all die," Alpha noted. "We'll all die together, don't worry… if that somehow helps you sleep."

"No," Tigress retaliated, inching closer to Alpha. "Promise me. Promise me that even if the siege is successful… you won't force the self-termination order."

Alpha shook his head gently. "You know I can't do that."

"Oh what the hell are you so adamant about?!" Tigress groaned. "I mean just look at yourself - "

Tigress reached out, paw grazing over the ancient burn marks permanently looped around Alpha's neck.

"Why are you willing to give up your life… and so many humans…" Tigress emphasized, eyes almost glazed over. "For a species capable of the same things? The same… violence?"

Alpha grinned. "I suppose I'm a traitor to my race."

Tigress pursed her lips, shaking audibly. "I can't lose you again."

"You already did," Alpha observed, frowning. "I'm not the same boy you knew, Tigress… and if you hadn't been so nosy, you would have never known about… me being alive."

"You didn't even want me to know _that_ …" Tigress spat in anger. "Because screw my conscience, right?"

"I knew whatever plan we'd come up with to defeat the Alliance, I knew I would very likely die," Alpha retaliated. "What would be the point of just coming back and saying - hey, loved ones! I'm back! But also I'm gonna die again!"

"It would have _helped_ me," Tigress growled.

"It would have _hurt_ you," Alpha countered. "Tigress… you and the others… you all mean too much for that to happen."

Tigress shut her eyes. She let her head droop down before feeling a large, warm arm now encircle her, and this time - she didn't fight it. She rest her head on his shoulder, sighing deeply before calming down. Tigress had no idea how to broach any of this to the rest of the Five, her own father, everyone else… and she didn't even know if it was the right thing to do.

"Bet you wished I was dead now, hmm?" Alpha whispered, leaning his head against hers.

"I don't know," Tigress replied softly. "But please don't let go."

And he didn't. Tigress turned back, gazing at his face. She did it slowly, taking in every feature - trying desperately to find the boy she had once known decades ago. But in reality, all of it was gone - Alpha's previously innocent, puffy cheeks and stringy black hair paired with light brown eyes were gone, replaced with hardened, bloodied cheekbones and deep-set eyes - color almost undetectable. A thick, dark black beard covered the lower half of the man's face.

"I… I barely know who you are anymore…" Tigress whispered, mumbling. "When did you get _this_?"

She scratched alongside his beard, earning a small chuckle from Alpha.

"Guess I ended up growing some _fur_ after all," Alpha replied, smiling.

"You sound different too," Tigress noted gently, eyes still glazed over in shock.

"My voice is _way_ deeper, hmm?" Alpha proudly concluded, grinning.

"Well, that too, but I mean you sound more…" Tigress paused, trying to search for the word. "Ugh, I dunno how to put it… aged."

Alpha narrowed his eyes. "Eh? Don't worry Ti… you've still got four years on me, you old hag…"

Tigress' mouth - as much as she wanted to keep it from bending anymore - curved into a tiny smile.

"Remember when we used to spar in the Palace courtyard?" Tigress remembered, still running her paw over Alpha's beard as if he would disappear. "Everytime we wrestled… and I'd put you down, you'd make this funny little noise…"

"The sound of a boy being manhandled by a sadistic tiger?" Alpha questioned, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.

"It was an adorable kind of squeal… like a kitten or a wolf pup," Tigress recalled, eyes lost in thought. "Your arms pinned, trying to get me off you while you cursed and swore…"

"Then you made me do a hundred pushups for disrespecting you," Alpha finished, grinning. "Yeah… yeah, I remember that."

Tigress took her head off his shoulder, staring at his bloodied torso once more.

"I don't think I could pin you now," Tigress guessed, leaning back on his shoulder.

Alpha merely smiled. "I'd let you - just for old times' sake."

Tigress bit back a residual sob, feeling the last of her anger dwindle away, even the sad parts of it - and be replaced with a quiet serenity - a kind of peace that she hadn't experienced in years. Not the feeling of acceptance, or of joy - but of a lasting, almost kind-hearted calmness. And this helped infuse her next words with meaning, a kind of tone that she hadn't used in a while.

"You don't know how much I _missed_ you, Allison."

Alpha merely shut his eyes and leaned against her head, smiling subtly. He could have said something back, perhaps bantered a bit more with her - but chose to stay silent, choosing to spend the moment in her embrace, thinking through all the things and moments that had made this worthwhile. He wanted to savor every moment before it was gone, and he couldn't think of a better memory to keep with him as he approached the end. And when the time came - because he knew it was coming - he could relax, last thoughts comfortably secure and peaceful, focused on the one person in his life who could make him feel this way.

* * *

 **A/N**

 _An appropriately heavy chapter. So much build-up leading to this moment! But first, the B storylines out of the way:_

 _[1] Omega and his team are fully ready for war. As you saw when Alpha first engaged him, he's unrelentingly declared war - and Alpha has a new power? (to be explained next chapter, hehe - although some of you might have predicted it by now) Also - how the hell did Alpha survive the furnace and the point-blank rifle shot? - also in the next chapter. :)_

 _[2] Wang is the mole, which kind of makes sense if you look at it. Way back in the KFP saga, he was part of the team "watching" the Seekers, fascinated by them… then as soon as Reformation hit, he sold out his race and became an AP. And now, keeping in consistency with his character - he's selling out again. Foreshadowing? Idk._

 _[3] Some of you (read: many :)) were shocked that the human race would be genocided. Here's the teehee disclaimer: they won't. At least… definitely_ _ **not**_ _in the way that you might be thinking. ;) Don't worry, this isn't Animal Farm or Planet of the Apes XDXD._

 _[4] The juicy stuff. Tigress and Alpha's relationship._

 _It took me a while to write their inevitable meeting scene. The reason it took so long was because I was trying to find a realistic way for Tigress' character to evolve - the entire WWS saga, she's wrestled and suppressed grief for so long that even though on the surface she seemed okay, deep inside she was broken… definitely not "hardcore". #notmytigress. Then, the exact moment where she finally processes her own grief, and learns to accept what has happened, and how things may never be the same again… she realizes the terrorist, is in-fact - Alpha._

 _Imagine preparing your whole life for that one thing, for understanding it, accepting it - and then having it taken away - or rather, changed in the last second. Psychologically - a normal person would be pissed off._

 _And we see that. In her anger, in the way she keeps twirling the arrow-armor around, in the way she refuses to even look at him. In her mind, Alpha just committed the greatest sin possible… not only torturing her for years, by not mentioning he was alive - but also by coming back, introducing a new emotional conflict for Tigress - who is notoriously poor at navigating trauma (read: Shifu slapping her, her "relationship" with Po, etc..). She might seem angry Alpha's back in her life, but in reality - she's just upset about the emotional consequences of seeing her dead friend again._

 _Anyone who knows Alpha and Tigress' relationship knows that it's been an EXTREMELY slow-built, careful relationship centered around trust, with both sides feeling distrustful of the other at some point. At first, remember Tigress choking Alpha (or Alf, as he was known back then) on the steps of the Jade Palace? Then, he became her begrudging ally in KFP 2 whom she kinda had a soft spot for, then by KFP 3 they regularly confided in each other about their deepest secrets. She was with him when he realized his parents had been murdered, when he realized his real name, etc._

 _So of course, of all the cast - even more so than Po - she definitely took Alpha's "death" the hardest._

 _Which is why we can see the reasoning to why Alpha wanted to avoid Tigress - anyone for that matter - knowing who he is. In his mind, he was protecting one of his closest friends, from potentially spiraling into a grief nosedive._

 _But yes… their relationship has been waiting for this moment of release. Fifty plus years… to be precise._

 _I'll never get tired of writing their scenes together, and I'd argue - and many fans would agree - that of all the relationships on the show, they represent just about everything I want to say as an author, and a writer - both thematically and emotionally. Nothing signifies what means to be "human vs animal" or "second stories" more than Alpha and Tigress._

 _So yeah. 6 chapters to go. This fic's coming to an end._

 _Goddamn._

 _Forge on,_

 _-TW_

 _P.S: Another common q: why no Alpha x Tigress ship? Two primary reasons: foremost, I felt uncomfortable writing a humanxanimal pairing because of my own reservations and the reservations expressed by other fans. (remember the controversy Alpha x Yu had?) Secondly, I felt they have incredible, rich emotional depth to their relationship anyway… despite being platonic… the closest relationship I can liken it to, as other readers have also pointed out, and I agree with - is older sister, little brother. As I like saying - you don't need the kissy-kissy to get the eyes all wetty-wetty :) (srry I'm horrible for that, lol)_

 _Also… I never confirmed nor denied Tipo. :) But I will say this… anyone who knows me knows I love to subvert expectations… so again… expect nothing, but everything, but also nothing. ;)_


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